Ruination
by 1angel2heart
Summary: Dark Romance; Angst. "I don't merely want to kill him. I want to ruin him," Muzan muttered to himself. "He will feel a pain equivalent to the loss he has caused me..." WARNINGS: kidnapping, mind games, angst, I'm disgusting (This is no longer a drabble. It MIGHT become a multi-chapter fic:o Thank you all for your comments!)
1. Thirty Nights: Kidnapping and Trickery

(**Notes 18/11/19: **Wrote this spur of the moment little ficlet / drabble for my friend (the prompt was 'what if Muzan makes Tanjiro beg for his blood') at two thirty in the morning. **Update 24/11/19**: Welp...After writing 22K words for this shit in one week, and constantly adding to it at a rapid pace, day and night, it's growing too much and I realized that it is no longer a ficlet but is a multi-chapter story now. Please enjoy my insanity!)

* * *

****FULL STORY SUMMARY:****

(NOTE: This story takes place in the KNY universe and follows Canon but diverts from the Manga after Chapter 183!)

For one thousand years, Muzan's goals have remained straightforward, and even now, his intentions with respect to Tanjirou are simple:

_"I don't merely want to kill him. I want to ruin him," Muzan muttered to himself._  
"He will feel a pain equivalent to the loss he has caused me..."

But this task would not be as easy as he presumes it would. Tanjirou, though small in stature, is blessed by the gods with a willpower that has the strength to rival all else.

They are two souls locked in a battle for revenge, with neither intending to give up. The prize? Tanjirou's mind, body and soul. Muzan's goal is to dominate him. Tanjirou's goal is to protect his friends.

As the cruel and egotistical master of all demons commences his dance of death with this pure, kind, yet resilient boy in a sadistic waltz for victory, who will win? And what will be discovered along the way?

This is the story of Kamado Tanjirou's ruination...

* * *

**FULL STORY TAGS:  
**

Mind Manipulation•• Mind Games•• Kidnapping•• Suicide mention•• Angst•• Major Character may die•• Author Is Sleep Deprived and Out to Destroy Ukes•• This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think•• Manga & Anime•• Implied/Referenced Torture•• Suicidal Thoughts•• Minor / only a few / vague Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga Spoilers•• Abuse•• Rape/Non-con Elements•• Sexual Abuse•• Sadism•• Bondage•• Tentacles•• Non-Consensual Groping•• You Have Been Warned•• Almost All My Kinks Will Be In Here So Turn Back Now•• Master/Pet•• I am disgusting•• I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping•• What Have I Done•• Why Did I Write This?•• I Will Go Down With This Ship•• VERY Explicit; detailed and disgusting Sexual Content (in later chapters)•• Canon Divergence - Post Manga Chapter 183•• Horror•• Forced Ejaculation•• Forced Orgasm•• Forced Masturbation•• Forced Bonding•• Reluctant Love•• Creampie•• Self-cest•• Futanari•• Sex Toys Under Clothing•• Piercings•• Non-Consensual Bondage•• Mating Bites•• Non-Consensual Blood Drinking•• Tentacle Monsters•• Read This Only if You Like Your Porn with Feelings and Angst Because it Will be an Intense Build•• Someone has a Pregnancy Kink•• Punishment Fucking•• Face Slapping•• Face-Fucking•• Non-Consensual Spanking•• Needle play•• Humiliation•• Slow Build•• Sexual Torture•• Goes from Extremely Non-Consensual to Extremely Dubious Consent•• This is a Plot Heavy Story so Don't Expect Smut Right Away•• Muzan is a Good Teacher•• Muzan is a Sadist•• Tanjirou Gets the Sex Education Not Taught in the Corps•• Schedule is back to weekly Updates (for now)•• Demon Daddy Muzan•• THE PLOT IS BEING BUILT UP THERE IS NO SMUT AT THIS POINT THESE TAGS ARE FOR LATER CHAPTERS.•• Confused Virgin•• Clueless Virgin•• Uncircumcised Penis•• It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better••Erotic Humiliation•• Tanjirou's Demon Daddy is Very Angry and Very Bitter•• Kamado Tanjirou Needs A Hug••

**Chapter One Summary:**

Kamado Tanjirou is tricked.

Muzan's desire for revenge is strong enough to keep Tanjirou alive until he can get his satisfaction for what the boy has caused him.

.

**WARNING:** I will try to avoid the major stuff but this story will have some manga spoilers.

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

[[Sound]]

_"Memory of a conversation." _

"Heh.": A laugh

ruination

(ruːɪneɪʃən )

Noun

1) The ruination of someone or something is the act of ruining them or the process of being ruined.

2) the act of ruining or the state of being ruined

3) failure that results in a loss of position or reputation

4) an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

* * *

_The subtle scent of midnight  
I spent all thirty nights  
I glare up at the stars  
Staring into the sky  
The path I see before me  
I know only I can change it  
That's all that I need_

_\- **Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)**_

* * *

**PROLOGUE: You're Dead to the World**

**•.•**

**•.•**

**N.B.:** Location: Japan; Time: Taisho Period...

**O**NCE UPON A TIME, THERE was a kind and honest boy; a selfless soul who lived a peaceful life wherein he sought after happiness for others rather than for himself.

This boy was Kamado Tanjirou, a smart, respectable and strong individual, with a calming presence that made others feel relaxed and safe and, a bright smile that was memorable.

If it were not for this smile, his unusually kind nature and pure heart, he would be the type to be easily forgotten, as he was not particularly talented or had a great, fearful presence. Luckily, his unnatural focus and incredibly hardworking nature left quite an impression on many.

But then one day, his peaceful life started to change.

His fate included losing his father at a young age, experiencing great hardship in helping to care for his family, then losing that family and embarking on a dangerous journey to purge the evil that had prematurely taken them from him.

Pain.

Hardship.

Loss.

Grief.

These things were not strange to him but he faced his destiny with great courage.

_._

_"...it caused me immense pain! I learned to put up with it because I'm the oldest. If I'd been the second son, I doubt I'd be so resilient."_

_._

Maybe as a consequence of being the eldest of six, Tanjirou was blessed with an immeasurable amount of mental strength that enabled him to make it through a lot of his life's unfair challenges with his sanity intact and without needing someone to help him to cope. In his own little world, he was mentally strong enough to handle anything that came his way—so much so that he was able to provide to those who needed positive assurance, when he was the one who needed it the most.

But it was odd. The more challenges that came at him, the more he conquered them.

Nothing could dim his light and Kamado Tanjirou, although serious at times, continued to shine brightly, always did his best to smile, and used his light to eliminate the pain of others.

.

**To Inosuke (Infinity Train):**

_"I...can't die..."_

_"If I die...that man becomes a killer!_

_"I can't die!"_

_"I can't let anyone die!"_ _ **[1]** _

_._

**_To himself (Infinity Train)_**

_"I've got to get my breathing under control...I have to help the injured...Nezuko, Zenitsu...Rengoku...They've got to be safe!" **[1]**_

_._

**To Aoi (Butterfly Mansion)  
**

_"...That doesn't matter. You helped me, Aoi. So now you're a part of me. I'll think of you whenever I go into battle._ _ **[2]** _

.

**To Kanao (Butterfly Mansion)**

_"The voice in your heart is soft...listen closely to the voice in your heart."_

_"If it comes up heads, you have to live by your heart!"_

_"You can do it! The heart is what drives us! Your heart can get infinitely strong!"_ _ **[3]** _

.

It is said that those who experience the greatest hardship are the ones who know how to be the most empathetic to the suffering of others. They have felt pain. They have been broken down by it, and they do not want to be the bearers of such great misery for others.

Yes... Kamado Tanjirou was a special boy, but seemingly both loved and hated by the gods, his life continued to be filled with a constant slew of hard times like a never ending spiral of heartbreaking hardship intermingling with the miracles it took to bounce back from such.

And as time went on, Tanjirou continued to live a life that was rampant with many difficulties. However, as though preparing him for something unknown, these difficulties were necessary to irreversibly take him to his limits, so much so that with each painful moment, his inner strength would grow stronger and stronger, burning within him like a great flame that would drive him forward until one day, the impossible happened to shake the foundation of his destiny.

.

He was snatched away from the life he knew and embraced in the putrid clutches of the king of the demons he had been hunting—a man so unlovable and vile that only darkness followed him.

It was the creature who had taken so much away from him but who wanted to take much more. It was Muzan Kibutsuji, the demon who walked with death and lusted after his death.

"Tanjirou!"

"Tanjirou...!"

In the background somewhere, someone, sounding very much like Giyuu, was screaming his name, but his ears were ringing, the bile was rising in his throat and his vision was wavering and fading.

Or was it the environment that was changing? The walls were swapping and spinning and just like that, he, being carried bridal style in the arms of the very one he had been hunting, was outside.

Utterly confused and disoriented, he closed his eyes.

This was not the 'outside' he remembered from a couple hours before.

The air was fresh and clean, and he could smell what was most likely Azalea and lots of it.

There was no longer the rusty scent of a lot of blood that was not his own.

His head swam.

He had lost a substantial amount of blood.

Was he dreaming?

He had hit his head pretty hard after Akaza had slammed him into that wall a little while ago and had fallen unconscious twice.

Maybe he had fallen unconscious again. Or did someone knock him out this time?

_Someone..._

.

Tanjirou vaguely remembered the abstract but haunting sounds of a biwa.

[[べ ん]]

[[べ ん]]

[[べ ん]]

[[べ—べ ん]]

With each eloquent pluck of those strings, the danger in the entire place mounted. The walls shook and shifted and in the next instant he was facing Muzan.

The demon's appearance was different, with long white hair, a crude aura and a poisonous glare.

He had not wanted to talk to him, but Muzan, as though tired of seeing him and bothered by his existence more than he was of his, proceeded to spout some nonsense about how they had no right to hate him for killing their families.

.

"..." Tanjirou's headache returned with a vengeance at that memory.

.

_"Breath of Water user, Kamado Tanjirou, you're coming with me." _

_._

_Was I...kidnapped...?_

Had that been a dream too?

"Nakime will be here soon. We-" There was a heavy pause. "So that's how it is...I've lost another one. Nakime is dead."

That voice, at first hopeful then morphing into something quite bitter and full of rage, drew his attention and he opened aching eyes dazedly, doing his best to direct his gaze upward.

The moment his eyes met with Muzan's, the full scope of just whose arms he was in started to seep into his stunned brain and the breath left his burning lungs in a rush, as his lips curled up into a snarl.

"You—"

"I...have lost everything," Muzan cut in, as though uninterested in what he had to say. These words were said slowly and with great difficulty, as though it pained him to admit it.

"..." An agitated second passed between them and as Tanjirou's lips separated to say something,

"But oh no, Kamado Tanjirou..." Muzan stopped him. "This is but a new beginning. You're going to help me achieve my dreams~" A purely evil light lit up the Demon King's eyes. "From tonight onwards, you're dead to the world~"

"Ung..." Tanjirou tried to move. Tried to shift himself out of Muzan's grip but found himself unable to. His body refused to respond. It was as though the pain acquired from his intense and inhuman battle had finally settled into his bones and crippled his movement.

His left arm hung limply at his side. He hurt all over.

It was hard to breathe.

"I...will kill you..." Tanjirou muttered weakly, but with as much venom belonging to a kitten.

"...~" Muzan blinked down at him, the tension in the air mounted, but then as Tanjirou was sure that Muzan was about to slam him into the ground and step on his head under the beautiful starry sky above them...

"Heh..."

"Heh...heh...!"

There was a harsh, acrid sound and Tanjirou soon realized that it was the sound of Muzan laughing. The tension in the atmosphere disappeared and the air vibrated to the point that the owls in the nearby trees flew out in a terror, screeching to the top of their lungs. Their cries of fear were even more terrifying to him as it sounded as though a legion of demons was laughing at him. It felt like a dark omen of what was to become of his life.

Dread filled his heart. He could not manage much in his state and it ached him to think that the last thing that he, Kamado Tanjirou, was able to choke out as he looked up into the wild, cruel gaze of his captor was a weak threat.

"Kuso...!"

"..." The other merely responded with a smile that felt wholly condescending but before he could say anything more, the sharp pain constantly going through his head since the end of his fight with Akaza, increased and feeling wholly broken, Tanjirou found himself leaning against Muzan's bare chest.

"Kuso..." he cursed, a bit softer this time. The weakness in his body was starting to set in deeper.

Everything was spinning again.

And soon, there was nothing but darkness.

xxx

**CHAPTER ONE: Kidnapping and Trickery  
**

**•.•**

**•.•**

**N.B.:** Thirty nights later...

The soles of well-polished geta kissed the ground curtly with each step the man took.

[[Tat]]

[[Tat]]

[[Tat]]

_He's back._

The tell-tale sound of those footsteps coming closer and the bile rose in Tanjirou's throat.

It was the right time of the day for his sadistic keeper to return.

And like a thorough acceptance of what was to come, he consciously relinquished his body of all residual tension.

He had been practising his breaths all day to calm himself and had already mentally prepared himself for whatever torture the demon would decide to bring to him that evening.

He could not allow himself to break down.

He could not give up.

Could not give in.

Regardless of what was going to come his way or how much it would hurt, he had to be strong.

[[Creak]]

The door yawned, lazily swinging open.

[[Tat]]

.

[[Tat]]

.

[[Tat]]

.

The steps were slower, more unhurried than they had been in the corridor, as though the newcomer was taking his time to observe his captive before making contact.

_Ugh... _Unable to see anything in the blackness enveloping the room where he was kept prisoner, Tanjirou went still.

It was quiet now, and from the absence of jolly birds singing a cheerful tune and the way the air bore a chill, he was aware that it was evening.

The sun had set and it was the right time for the creatures of the night to come forth.

Creatures, and terrors, like the one currently observing him.

Another evening to be spent in the company of evil.

Another reminder that in the time that the demon had been gone, he had been unable to make any progress in getting free.

And now that suffocating presence was enveloping him once more.

The black aura that caused his hairs to stand on end.

The overwhelming scent of blood that made him aware that the man had just fed.

In the everlasting blackness that was his present reality, Tanjirou had stopped wondering how many hours...or days had gone by.

All that reminded him that he was alive, was the clawing hunger scraping at his stomach walls.

"Kamado. Tanjirou."

His name was said as a monotonous greeting, by the one standing close to the bed he lay on and Tanjirou was too frail to fight him as his chin was grabbed and water was forced into his mouth.

Muzan.

After that fateful encounter in the Dimensional Fortress, Tanjirou had woken up to find himself stripped of his clothes and tied to a bed.

Instead of his standard Demon Hunter uniform, leg bands, tabi socks, thonged sandals and patterned Haori, he was barefoot and wearing a long white robe that was opened to the front to expose his nudity.

Muzan, sitting near him, had proceeded to place a rigid leather collar around his neck, while informing him that he was no longer a Demon Hunter but was now his property.

Alarmed by this and thinking that he was about to be eaten, he had made a valiant attempt at escaping, but nothing worked and all Muzan did was respond with a condescending smile, silently mocking him with that expression before tying a thick bit of cloth over his eyes.

A blindfold.

At first this had thrown him into a state of panic but he had quickly adapted and calmed down.

With his senses, Kamado Tanjirou did not really need his eyes to see.

And in the days that followed, days filled with thirst, hunger and solitary confinement, he assessed his surroundings and found that Muzan was keeping him prisoner in a place surrounded by nothing that smelled familiar.

It was definitely not located in any city he had been to, or near any villages with active human settlements.

A remote location, carrying the fresh scent of flowers in the air and the distant sounds of animals found mostly in forested areas.

And further to that, with the blindfold on, he could only assume from the information gathered by his astute senses, that he was in a breezy room which had its source of light and ventilation coming from its sole large window.

He was primarily kept in that room, but Tanjirou was able to deduce a lot. For instance, from its size, he figured that it belonged to a mansion and was most likely a unit on its top floor.

A window was to his left, the ceiling was high and the room was decorated in a minimalist style.

His sense of smell and astounding sensory abilities had helped him to have noticed that much and in the few instances when his blindfold was taken off, he was able to see that his guess had been right.

The entire space was decorated with a few ornately crafted antique furniture pieces and richly painted art on the walls.

The door to the room was opposite the foot of the bed and there was the view of a forest beyond the window.

Maybe, from the smell of fragrant Quince, Azalea and Iris, there was a small garden below that unbarred window filled with an abundance of fresh Azalea flowers, blooming Quince and a little pond with Iris plants growing near it.

He was the only occupant in that house and Tanjirou was surprised that there was no one left to guard him while Muzan was away.

Was Muzan that confident that he could not escape?

Sure, he was starved, dehydrated and had sustained some head and neck injuries that were still healing, but surely the demon must know that Demon Hunters were persistent.

Yet, day after day was the same. Although Tanjirou tried, his bonds held him tight to the bed.

During the day, he was mostly surrounded by silence and the cacophony of birds in his solitude. But ever so often, at night, Muzan would drop by, stinking of blood and death to feed him.

He only gave him enough water and food to not die, so Tanjirou spent the majority of his time hungry and in an advanced state of dehydration.

He was weak, tired, dizzy, confused and in pain but his stubborn will—and maybe a generous miracle—saw him through each difficult day.

And on the nights Muzan stopped by, he would also bring warm water and rags to clean him, then change his bandages.

The candle wax burns that were still healing had salve applied to them and both the old and new cuts on his torso, thighs and upper arms were meticulously inspected, then carefully cleaned, treated with ointment and wrapped in sterile gauze.

He was cared for gently and with the attention akin to that of a doting parent or loving partner, but this was merely because Muzan, when calm, was an individual who possessed an elegance about him that transferred into everything he did.

Tanjirou though, was not so foolhardy to think that the demon genuinely had his best interests at heart.

After all, he was the one responsible for his injuries.

Thus, more than likely, their current relationship could better be compared to that of a Master and his disagreeable pet than that of a caretaker and his ward.

_But..._

There were so many questions surrounding his situation.

_Why is he keeping me alive...? _Tanjirou found himself wondering for the hundredth time as his body was carefully dried off and his robe retied.

Muzan was not one to be fascinated by humans to the point that he would decide to keep him to satisfy some longing.

Most definitely, there was some kind of sick reason behind all this.

_What is he planning?_

Sadly, Tanjirou still had no answer to that question.

He had thought that by now, he would have already become a snack for the crude demon but visit after visit, nothing happened.

Was he dragging out the date for his execution as a new form of torture?

_Or maybe-_

"Kamado Tanjirou."

As the bed sunk with the weight of someone sitting down, Tanjirou frowned.

"I am in awe."

"Humans are such frail creatures...But to think that you would keep your opposition this strong and proud for an entire month...This is quite interesting."

He caressed the side of his face.

"And in all that time...You've never spoken or made a sound regardless of what I do to your body..."

Tanjirou's lips were set in a grim line.

_One month has passed since then...?_

The tears brimmed at the corners of his eyes.

_One month since I saw them all..._

_Nezuko._

_Inosuke._

_Zenitsu._

_Kanao._

_Giyuu..._

_Are you guys okay? What happened to you?_

Did you manage to escape when Muzan took me away, or did you perish?

His brow furrowed.

Was the blood he could smell whenever his demonic visitor arrived one of theirs?

"You...How delightfully persistent you are..."

That voice, very similar to the one he had heard that night thirty days prior when he had last seen any of his friends, spoke to him, bringing back memories of that night...

_"Kamado Tanjirou." _The sound of his name as it rolled off Muzan's tongue had made Tanjirou's stomach twist with nausea. _"How delightfully persistent you are."_

_"Why not just give in?"_

Looking at him in wide-eyed shock, Tanjirou had asked, _"What are you saying?"_

Muzan, unafraid as always to state his intentions before others had given him one simple answer, "Become mine."

"What...?"

Both himself and Giyuu's confusion was expressed in that one word as they had openly stared back in a state of speechless shock, but like a drunk in an office oblivious to the atmosphere, Muzan had merely continued,

_"So your family got slaughtered. What's the problem here?"_

The way Muzan had said this was as if their situations were the reverse- as if they were the villains and he had been protecting himself.

One unfamiliar with the situation might even think that the demon was a victim of their constant bullying and not the cause of ten centuries' worth of strife.

_"Is that why you hate me so much? Is that reason enough to follow me endlessly?"_ At that question, Muzan had looked directly at Tanjirou, smirking suggestively. _"Or is there another reason?"_

Tanjirou had remained silent, his rage so great that his mind had gone blank.

To say something so repulsive... implying that they were making a bigger deal than they should about the loss of their families at his hand...

Muzan truly had lost his humanity to the point that he had lost his mind as well if he would think that their mission and attention on him was tantamount to harassment.

And what did he even mean by asking if he had 'another reason' for chasing after him?

_Muzan..._

_"There is no other reason,"_ Tanjirou had finally willed his tongue to move to mutter. _"Muzan, you are...a being that should not be allowed to exist."_

_"I should not exist, hm?" _

_"Then why not do something about my **existence**_, _then?" _

A snide laugh.

_"Breath of Water user, Kamado Tanjirou, you're coming with me." _

It had been that simple.

Years of tedious, spine-shattering training to become stronger, to become someone who could protect the weak but just as he and the remaining Demon Hunters had Muzan cornered, it became clear that they were the ones cornered instead.

It was at that moment that the master demon himself had simply sauntered up to him and expressed his intentions.

And just like that he was snatched away. Kidnapped.

Now the more he thought of his circumstances, the more his loss ate away at him.

His mind would never allow him to forget how that final confrontation had panned out.

He had been frozen by Kibutsuji's enormous aura of murderous dread.

His trembling, bruised hands no longer possessed the strength to even lift his sword.

They had faced down the Upper Moons and won by a hairsbreadth, their mortal bodies broken by exhaustion and near shattered by the heat of combat, and that was the unfortunate moment Muzan had chosen to appear.

Muzan, the one who was the objective of their mission that night. The one he had been longing to see to exact his revenge. And the one who, after finally confronting him again, made it clear how vast the difference in their strength was.

To face him with a body that was far below its ability to perform, while the demon was fully rested and even more powered up, was far from the ideal situation.

And as they stood opposite, staring down one another, Tanjirou's nose burned. He stunk of blood. Fresh blood. And both he and Giyuu had known that this demon had most likely killed scores of Hunters on his way to them.

They would have to fight this creature that had been powered up on the blood of their comrades.

_This monster._

Two bruised and exhausted mortals were facing down an immortal - this monster - at its peak.

That night, Tanjirou was very aware that Muzan could make killing him seem as easy as swatting a pesky bug.

Railed by exhaustion, he could no longer use breaths. All that was keeping him standing was his stubborn will and insufferable hate. How else was their encounter supposed to end? But somehow Tanjirou was still surprised by the outcome—by his defeat.

Easily overpowered by his greatest challenge, after all he had been through. Right at the moment when victory seemed close enough to grasp.

To come all that way only to fall at the feet of his final enemy.

_How could this have happened?_

Tanjirou hated what this meant. Hated that his weakness had caused him to be in his current predicament, tied down with this vile man sitting next to him, repeating the same words every time he visited, so those words repeated in his head day after day, even while he was not around to taunt him.

"You vowed to protect the weak. The unfortunate. But look at you~"

"How does it feel to be weak?~"

"To lose?~"

"To know that your loved ones will perish?~"

"Do you need someone to come save you, Tanjirou-kun? ~"

A sick joke. That was what this had to be.

From the first day when he had been brought to his new abode, Muzan had made it clear that he could have killed him long ago, along with his entire family.

He had known that the eldest boy of the Kamado children was not there, that he was in that hut at the foot of the mountain.

Even when Tanjirou had first confronted him in the busy main street.

How easy would it have been to end him right there and then, but it would not have been half as fun.

To see ones prey struggle, filled with hope, becoming stronger through great strife only to then be faced with the reality of its unchangeable situation—that was the real reward.

_"You amassed great strength in your futile quest to destroy me~"_

As Tanjirou's new strength called to him, Muzan not only wanted to make him suffer. He wanted him to become a demon.

_"I'm glad that I kept you alive. You can be of use."_

_"Become mine. My new #1. Take my blood and pledge your soul to me."_

The words swam over and over around him, like the many thoughts screaming at him from inside his head, a condescending attack that ate away at his sanity, but Tanjirou bore with it.

His suffering could be over if he accepted this offer, but his pride as not only a Demon Hunter, but a human would not let him.

To become a demon would be to betray all that he had been fighting for.

_"You were pitiful as a human. But...I can give you value. I can give you a new life..."_

_No. _

_No._

_No!_

He could not let those words into his subconscious. Could not allow them to warp his thoughts.

After all, this was Kibutsuji Muzan, the demon responsible for taking so much away from him and countless others.

The one he had been hunting for years.

_The one I lost to. _

That last thought hit him with the weight of a thousand sins and Tanjirou grieved silently, too proud to let his enemy see that he was falling apart.

This knowledge would no doubt make Muzan celebrate, to know that he was succeeding in his mental torture.

But despite Tanjirou not showing any outward signs that he was breaking down, each day remained the same for him.

It hurt.

"You can't protect anyone~"

"What kind of Demon Hunter gets caught so easily~"

"Heh."

"Weren't you supposed to **_kill _**me? ~"

"Aren't I a _'being that should not exist'_?"

The words Muzan said to him, psychological torture tools that picked him apart with their criticism, mocked his failure, threatened him...Tanjirou held strong but it was not until he had started suggesting that he might soon kill what was left of his family and close friends that Tanjirou seriously contemplated giving in.

_So...they're alive!_

_Nezuko...Everyone...!_

_There's still a chance to save them...!_

_If I can just—_

And then it happened. Muzan pulled back his blindfold.

"…" Tanjirou gasped, unable to stop that reaction, as he looked up into the face of a stunningly beautiful woman.

_His form changed again, _he thought, narrowing his gaze.

Over the course of the time he had been locked up in that mansion, he had noticed that Muzan had three forms that seemed to be his favorite to cycle through when he was out and about.

Sometimes, he would wake to find a young, delicate but well-dressed boy with smooth black hair leaning over him, tending to his injuries. Other times he would see the original Muzan he had challenged on the busy street, the one with the black curly hair, white fedora and fancy suit.

Now tonight it was a very pretty woman with dark lipstick, slim eyebrows and long black curly hair pulled back into a large bun. She wore thick black eyeliner to accentuate her pretty almond-shaped eyes, a gorgeous midnight blue kimono with pink cherry blossoms and a pink obi tie to hold her outfit together. This woman reminded him of the hostesses who worked in the Red Light District.

But no matter what form Muzan took, Tanjirou always knew their real identity, as the overwhelming scent of death and blood clinging to each remained the same.

"You…" Muzan started, the corners of his lips twitching as if he was holding back a smile.

At the pause, Tanjirou frowned, looking up into his beautiful face.

As he did, the master demon smiled brighter, his plump, painted lips curling into an attractive smile as he whispered flirtatiously,

"Become a demon."

"That's the only way to save those close to you~"

Tanjirou's gaze, held by his, bore caution, distrust and rage but Muzan did not lose hope. He was confident that his new pitch would work.

He had tried everything. Humiliation, physical and mental torture, but Tanjirou possessed a strong will.

But at the end of it all, that strong will was also his weakness.

Muzan had been observing him closely over the past thirty days. The boy no longer cared about his own life. He merely existed as a tool for his own revenge. Thus, the only guaranteed way to get through his defences, was to parade the lives of those he held precious in his heart, right before his eyes.

"If you let me convert you, I will spare those you care for~"

A whisper of cool breeze from the open window to his left tousled their hair as the light of the full moon washed over them but Tanjirou could not look away from Muzan's face.

Pinned with a feral glare by pink irises, Tanjirou swallowed the thick lump of anxiety in his parched throat.

Would Muzan really do as he promised?

Could he...**_should_** he trust a demon to stick to their word?

Muzan's smile had been too bright. Too perfect. Too trustworthy when he had made that offer. It was clearly a trap.

_Or am I just overthinking it?_

_I got to assess the situation carefully._

Need to see beyond the obvious.

_Think._

_Think!_

_Why does Muzan want to make me a demon? What is his objective?_

_Think!_

_How will this benefit him?_

But try as he did, no valid reason came to mind, other than the possibility that the demon simply wanted to replenish his vacant ranks as all the Upper and Lower Moons were now dead.

After all, asking him to become his new Upper Moon #1 was one of the first things he had said to him.

Tanjirou had not responded then and he still was not interested now. He did not want this. His heart was screaming at him to not trust Muzan, but what else was there for him to do than to accept that offer?

He could continue with his attempt to waste away rather than give in, but with Muzan's intermittent force-feeding, that likely would never happen.

Tanjirou knew that he had to think carefully before making his decision, but everything was too tense, too stressful and the longer he procrastinated, the more his delusions told him that Muzan might just go berserk and kill someone close to him just to break him further.

He nodded slowly, cautiously, aware that he could not risk the lives of those important to him by refusing.

"Tanjirou-kun," Muzan prompted. "I want to hear you say it. Beg for my blood like the lowly human you are~"

"..." Tanjirou broke their eye contact, looking away as the pitfall of misery slowly started to swallow him.

_I will do this. I have to._

His cracked lips separated.

"Muzan." Tanjirou's voice was strong despite his state of desperation and Muzan smiled, anticipating what he wanted to both see and hear—Tanjirou begging to be turned into a demon.

Tanjirou on the other hand, no longer cared about his pride.

This was one of the very few times he had spoken since his capture, and to think that it was with the aim of accepting Muzan's terms was something he chose not to dwell on.

"Muzan..." he started again, at last uttering the words the demon wanted him to say, "Make me a demon! Get this over with! I'll do anything...just... Please spare them..."

"Good." Muzan sat back with a victorious smile. "Let's not waste any more time."

A pearling drop of blood grew from the incision on the index finger of his right hand, catching the ambient light in the room, beckoning the dark eyes of the boy who was about to sell himself.

_Will this...really be okay...? _Tanjirou thought as he stretched out his tongue to lick the blood dripping from Muzan's finger.

_I-_

"Ungh...!"

As soon as that large drop landed on his tongue, an immensely severe pain echoed throughout his entire being.

"Ah...!"

He pulled at his bonds, his back arching off the bed as the caustic pain traveled through his writhing body,

"Ow..."

The pain was indescribable.

It was as though all of his internal organs were being twisted, his very cellular structure changing—being warped into those more suited to an inhuman being.

Tanjirou groaned, cold sweat pearling on his forehead and he huffed, panted and gasped, fighting back the tears as Muzan watched him with a sadistic curiosity.

And in the moment that he felt the vile aura building further, spreading through his body, Tanjirou caught sight of Muzan's smile.

Caution filled him. That smile was nothing like the victorious smile he had been wearing. It was evil. This was the gesture that made him realize that he had made a huge mistake.

"Ah...ah...!"

Tanjirou's pain continued and it was more pain than he could ever remember being in in his life, but in the midst of becoming what he hated, he felt Muzan's breath near his ear as the demon leaned close to whisper to him, "Who are you and what is your life value that I will take that as an equivalent exchange to end my carnage?"

Muzan did not have to say this, and at **_this_** point, but he really wanted to drive the hopeless nature of Tanjirou's new future deep into his heart.

"You...you promised..." Tanjirou choked out, through clenched teeth as Muzan's long pale fingers with their sharp nails cupped his chin.

His grip was gentle, but the power behind it was immense and Tanjirou could not look away from the condescending smirk the demon wore.

"Oh, Tanjirou-kun..." Muzan smirked wider, as though all that was taking place was funny to him. "That look on your face is really entertaining~ You actually thought that a demon like me was virtuous? ~"

Yes, the look on his face could not hide the fact that Tanjirou had genuinely thought that Muzan would have kept his word.

"I don't know if to feel honored or insulted," Muzan hissed. "Boy, I kill whoever I want, whenever I want."

"But don't be mad at me. This is your fault." A cruel laugh halted his sentence briefly. "Weren't you a bit too presumptuous Little One?" Muzan asked. "You should be wary of whose words you trust, but it's too late to tell you this now, isn't it? Heh. I am the one who will decide which humans shall live and which shall die at my hands. Nothing you do can change that."

Time seemed to stop as Muzan's words sunk in and Tanjirou's eyes went wide with alarm.

It was true. He was not having a nightmare. This moment was real. His pain was real. His sacrifice had failed to do anything other than make his situation worse. He had been tricked.

Muzan chuckled, drinking in the sight of his agony and that wide glare filled with rage and betrayal.

"Why?" Tanjirou yelled. "Why...are you doing this to me?!"

His question was left unanswered, as though the one he was asking did not feel the need to give him a response.

"Ugh…" He tried to fight back, to reject the influence of the tainted blood coursing through his veins, but its power was too strong and little by little, he could feel himself submitting to its call.

Reluctantly, he was becoming a demon.

"Why...?" Tanjirou uttered one last time and as the darkness pricked at the edges of his vision, he saw Muzan, blurry except for the Cheshire cat smile he wore, bend over him.

"Welcome to your new life, Kamado Tanjirou~"

And finally, his eyes slid shut as the darkness claimed him.

xxx

* * *

**REFERENCES:**

[1] Manga chapter 62

[2] Manga chapter 53

[3] Manga chapter 53


	2. Death Sentence

**Notes**:

So. This was supposed to be a drabble / a ficlet but in the first seven days since I posted chapter one, I've been writing so much in my little spare time that the story outline is now at 22 000 words! Wth. This was not supposed to be bigger than 500 - 1000 words!

* * *

**Chapter Summary**:

Tanjirou has been turned into a demon but continues to fight Muzan's influence. Meanwhile, the Pillars meet…

**SPOILER WARNING:** I will try to avoid the major stuff but this story will have some manga spoilers.

In this chapter, there aren't any **_obvious _**spoilers as I tried to be vague part with Zenitsu is made up. Also, the part with Tanjirou's resistance is just my headcanon ^^;

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

oOoOoOoOoOo: The start / end of a dream

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

_"Memory of a conversation."_

_'Conversation within a dream.' _

"Heh.": A laugh

**_'Telepathic speaking'_**

* * *

_I learned what it is to lose _

_By being defeated by the world_

_The crimson flower in full bloom_

_Illuminates my destiny…_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

**Red Lotus:** The "Crimson flower" mentioned in the lyrics of Kimetsu no Yaiba's opening theme is the red lotus, which is said to be an "emblem of purity", and symbolizes love and rising out of suffering (among many other meanings).

**Red Spider Lily**: aka "hell flower", "corpse flower". The flower used in Japanese culture to symbolize death / that which leads the dead into the afterlife. One legend states that it can "…guide the dead into the next reincarnation."

* * *

Chapter 2: Death Sentence

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:**.The next day (Day 31)… **Location:** Ubuyashiki Manor (new location) **Time: **N/A

"We have lost so many gifted members of the Corps," Gyomei mumbled, clutching the beads in his clasped hands a bit tighter. "Even a few pillars…"

"Yes…" Sanemi replied, his expression grim. "And some who would have made great future Pillars." His breath hitched. "Our ranks have taken a severe blow, and Muzan is still walking the earth."

"…" The Rock Pillar was silent. The Wind Pillar's voice carried the weight of his pain. Ever since their last encounter with Muzan, he had been more expressive to emotions other than his explosive rage and his heart went out to him.

He had lost a lot.

"Genya is probably sad just knowing that Tanjirou has been lost to us," Sanemi went on. "With that development, I don't even know how I can face him…"

"Genya would understand—"

"No he wouldn't," Sanemi hissed. "After losing Tanjirou to that disgusting demon, it's like that boy has faded off the earth. None of our contacts have seen a sign of him!"

"So far, all of our efforts have been in vain," Gyomei agreed. "We are yet to locate where Muzan is keeping Tanjirou-kun. I don't understand how our spies haven't seen a thing…"

"Tanjirou's probably dead already."

"Obanai…!" Mitsuri sent a glare his way. "We have to be positive! We can't give up so easily!"

"It's been one month," Obanai deadpanned. "Who could survive Muzan that long?"

"Tanjirou can!" She clenched both fists at her sides. "This is Tanjirou we're talking about! He's probably already escaped Muzan and is in hiding. He's probably in a place where he cannot contact us and is probably waiting for us to find him!"

"That's a lot of 'probablys'—"

"Obanai!"

"I'm just being realistic." The Snake Pillar shrugged. "Tanjirou has improved his technique quite a lot. He's really strong. But just as we know Tanjirou, we know Muzan. This is **_Muzan_** we're talking about. We have to expect the worst."

"Yes," Gyomei agreed. The new scar in his face, still healing from their encounter with Upper Moon One, lent an even more serious air to his appearance. "We need to anticipate the worst of the worst."

The tears started streaming down his face.

"With a monster like Muzan, who knows what he could have done to our Tanjirou."

"But what then?" Sanemi asked. "What if Tanjirou's not dead and the situation is worse than we could have ever anticipated?"

"Like…how?" Mitsuri asked, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

And she was right.

"What if he's been turned into a demon?"

There was a collective gasp.

Too preoccupied with the events surrounding his kidnapping and disappearance, none of them, except Sanemi, had considered that possibility.

Instinctively, they all looked to the head of the Ubuyashiki household.

Sitting on a pillow between Kuina and Kanata, he nodded in acknowledgement of that collective question.

"If that's the case, we kill him."

"What?!"

Giyuu, normally silent during these meetings could not help his exclaim at that declaration. "This is Tanjirou were talking about. He's one of us."

"He **_was_** one of us—if what Sanemi is suggesting is an actual occurrence," The Ubuyashiki head responded.

"Isn't that too rash?!"

"I've made many critical mistakes in my last mission. As a result, many precious lives—Hunters we can never get back—were lost." Ubuyashiki's expression was void of emotion. "If Tanjirou's present condition is that of an accomplice of that demon, then we're in for a lot of trouble. We've had demon hunters become demons, and like Zenitsu, Gyomei, Tokito, Sanemi and Genya personally knows, that makes everything a lot more difficult."

"Yes…" Zenitsu mumbled. He had not spoken since the meeting started and he was introduced as the new Thunder Pillar.

Having satisfied one of the requirements to become a Pillar during the tedious hours of their last mission, he was instantly promoted.

Zenitsu did not appear to be happy to achieve this though.

With the amount of gloom surrounding him, it appeared as though he was giving Giyuu some competition in the arena of possessing poor communicative skills.

"Yes…I've personally experienced how difficult it is to beat a Moon demon who was a Demon Slayer." His expression soured further. "And if Tanjirou becomes a demon, he'd definitely be an Upper Moon," he went on, his voice a monotone. It was clear that he was in great pain and had decided to stop thinking about everything. "We'll have a very hard time then."

"We took some Moons away from Muzan," Mitsuri said. "And now he has taken one of our most prospective candidates away from us."

"But!" Giyuu felt his desperation mounting. "Nezuko beat Muzan. She severed his link! Tanjirou is even more stubborn. Surely he can—"

"Do little against that monster." The Ubuyashiki head finished. "He's been gone for over one month now. We do not know what Muzan's intentions for taking Tanjirou were. Do you think Muzan would make the same mistake as with Tamayo and Nezuko a third time?" His voice was gentle, knowing how close Giyuu was to Tanjirou. "We can't take any chances. If Tanjirou is a demon and shows himself to have lost his mind, then you are all ordered to kill him on sight. We cannot afford to lose any more of you."

"..." Giyuu did not respond. Like Mitsuri, his body language spoke volumes for him.

He was silent, but his hands were clenched tightly at his sides.

Both he and Mitsuri did not like this new development at all. None of the Pillars did.

"We need to increase the scope of our investigations to locate and free Tanjirou," Gyomei spoke up. "And if the possibility that he's become a mindless demon comes to pass, we will free him from his life of torment."

xxx

**_._**

**N.B.:**.Meanwhile… **Location:** Muzan's Manor (One of many) **Time: **Around lunchtime/ Noon)

_"Who are you and what is your life value that I will take that as an equivalent exchange to end my carnage?"_

Those cruel words rang over and over in his head as Tanjirou lay in bed, feebly fighting the progression of his demonic transformation whilst the many hardships Muzan had put him through during his stay at that mansion rang through his mind.

_It was useless._

_Useless._

_Useless…!_

_I hate him…!_

_Everything was useless! All that I survived and suffered through for the past month…_

_The starvation._

_Dehydration._

_Mental and physical torture._

_Humiliation._

_No one found me._

_No one came looking._

_It's all over._

_…_

_And now…_

_Ugh._ Tanjirou directed his gaze to the thick drapes that were drawn over the window to block out the sun—but keeping his eyes open was hard.

The pain in them was as if they had been seared with a hot iron and his vision was blurry.

_Ah._

Closing his eyes, he tried to breathe, tried to ignore the burning in his stomach.

That burn was the result of the little broth there that had turned into an indigestible acidic chyme to ride his stomach until he had retched.

Hunger. Weakness. Pain. Delusion.

His head swam.

He was not sure when exactly it was that he had stopped hoping to be rescued by the Pillars. He was not sure of anything anymore. No one would ever find him, or the mansion that was his prison.

Near broken and racked by despair, it was a miracle that even in his state; Tanjirou was able to continue putting up a fight against Muzan's powerful demonic conversion.

Thirty days without a decent meal had left him frail and completely spent, and Tanjirou, with thoughts dazed and filled with self-deprecation, lay with his hair plastered to his face from hours of sweating and high fever.

He could hear Muzan's voice in his head calling to him—baiting him—and little by little, his body succumbed to the demon's vice.

He was slowly becoming a demon.

"Unghhh..."

With his wrists trapped together above his head in cuffs he could not break, Tanjirou could feel that his nails had lengthened and were now akin to claws.

His teeth too, both upper and lower canines, had grown exponentially and he was sure that the pain in his eyes was due to their structure changing as well.

Even the markings from earlier that week—the words "Property of Muzan"—composed of crude little cuts that Muzan in his child form had diligently and repeatedly carved deep into the flesh of his torso, thighs and arms using a craft stencil knife, no longer ached.

The brands placed by his sadistic keeper during that physical torture session were no longer healing but had healed and faded away as though they had never been there.

_I want this to end…_

_End._

_Please…_

He had now reached the point where he was avidly praying for death.

To say that he had had a rough morning so far would have been to grossly underestimate his experience.

The word 'rough' could never hope to encompass the physical and mental turmoil he was at the mercy of with his choice to accept Muzan's proposal.

Tanjirou was suffering.

The night before had been spent in excruciating pain, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Almost every time he regained consciousness and turned aching eyes to his left, he would see Muzan sitting at the edge of his bed like some kind of caring guardian, with a pleasant smile while watching him intently.

Other times during that night, the master demon would be sitting in the antique wooden chair by the large, open window to the left, his elegant form bathed in the pearlescent light of the moon.

And today, the following day, Muzan had left before sunrise as he usually did after visiting him.

For this, he was very grateful.

Tanjirou did not think that he would have been able to handle seeing the cruel demon **_while_** enduring the pain of his conversion today too.

Being as ill as he was, was enough torment.

It was scarcely eighteen hours after the start of his conversion, but his torment made him feel as though he had been suffering for months on end.

The excruciating pain had passed, but today's experience was no better, as when he was not sleeping in a feverish delirium, Tanjirou was violently ill.

Had he still been human, the little broth that had been force-fed to him the night before would have helped stave off his hunger for at least a day, but today, it brought on a bout of nausea like none other and as such, every bit of it had left his stomach unceremoniously.

It was as though with his conversion, human food could no longer be processed and his new body was doing its best to reject all traces.

Added to that experience of retching until he was weak from the convulsions, the gods seemed to have decided that he was not suffering enough, and as such, he spent the entire morning with headaches, eye pain and an extremely high fever, one so high that his awareness of reality felt warped as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

Tanjirou was convinced that he was about to die.

And maybe, he truly was.

oOoOoOoOoOo

**N.B.:** Five minutes later. **Location:** In Tanjirou's dream.

As soon as he had found himself in that world, Tanjirou had known that he was dreaming. There was no way that his circumstances had improved that fast and that greatly for him to be present in his current space.

But dream or not, he was grateful for something other than the ever-present pain. So there he stood, in a beautiful garden of flowers—one so lush and pretty that the sight alone soothed his physical and mental torment in the real world.

The sky was painted a bright blue, the flowers were varying shades of green, pink, white and red, and the grass was green, lively and fresh.

Butterflies traipsed from one fragrant flower to the next.

It was paradise. Everything was perfect and relaxing.

"..." Feeling an odd sense of liberty, Tanjirou looked down at his wrists, mildly surprised to see that the restraints Muzan had used to lock him to the bed were not there.

He had become so used to them.

Curious about the absence of those, his hand came up to touch his neck and with the realization that the collar, Muzan's claim of ownership, was not present, his gaze went over the flowers at his feet.

_Where am I?_

There were so many beautiful blossoms entangling his legs, just below the hem of his robe, but the majority were composed of Red Spider Lilies, the Japanese flower that symbolized death.

His eyes followed them, trailing off into the distance, where oddly, it seemed as though those crimson lilies were increasing in abundance.

And right where they flourished the most and in full bloom, far to the other side of that garden, a clear stream rushed over mossy rocks.

On the opposite bank of that lively body of water stood a small group of people whose faces he would never forget.

_'Tanjirou!' _One of them, a little boy called loudly. '_We miss you!'_

_'…?!' _Joy filled his heart as Tanjirou's gaze found those of his family. They were standing across the clear stream smiling at him.

_'Mom…dad…everyone…!'_

Tanjirou wasted no time, running across the garden to stand at the edge of the body of water separating them.

At the edge of the stream, where the water was stagnant and murky, thrived an abundance of crimson-colored lotus flowers, rising out of the muck to bloom intense, resplendent and pure.

His heart thumped loudly in his chest as his gaze went back to his loved ones.

_'But…where's Nezuko?' _He asked, looking over the little group for the one he had been worried about the most.

_'She's still alive,' _his father assured him. _'It's not her time as yet.'_

_'Thank goodness.' _Tanjirou's voice was filled with gratitude. '_I wasn't sure if she was…you know…' _He swallowed the painful lump in his throat. _'I wasn't sure if she was…alive…or if she had died and did not make it to where you all are.'_

_'Nezuko is a good child,' _Tanjuro, his father, replied. _Whether she dies as a demon or human, her soul will make it to heaven, just as yours will.'_

_'I will go to heaven…' _Tanjirou was surprised. _'Even like this?'_

_'Yes you would. Your heart and intentions are pure so you will be accepted, but it's not your time yet,' _Kie, his mother, added. _'So please go back.' _Her expression was pained but she continued. _'I'm afraid you cannot rest as yet. Go back and continue to fight.'_

_'No,' _Tanjirou refused, immediately going down on his knees in the grass. _'Can't you see? I'm becoming a demon!' _His nails dug into the damp earth._ 'The Dance of the Fire God…I have sullied our line by choosing to become a demon! I'm so sorry…so sorry—!'_

_'Tanjirou…' _His father's eyes were kind. _'Get up. Do not bow your head. You have done nothing wrong. You were put into an impossible situation and did what you thought were right but even the best of us make mistakes.' _He smiled. _'The important thing is that you never stop fighting.'_

_'I don't want to fight anymore…' _Tanjirou admitted and as he stood up, his posture was of one who had fought a thousand battles and carried the weight of each on his shoulders. _'I've been fighting for so long. My body is changing. I'm becoming the very thing that killed you…!' _

_'No.' _Kie shook her head._ 'Don't despair, son. Your blood is special. You have an innate resistance to that demon's curse. You can fight his influence if your mind is strong enough.'_

_'I can resist demon blood…?' _Tanjirou asked as the tears started streaking down his face._ 'But isn't it all over for me already? Aren't I a—"_

_'Good boy,' _Kie finished. _'That's what you are, Tanjirou—you are a good boy. And being a good person in life sometimes means that you have to go through a lot more pain than others.' _Her smile was gentle. _'But please stay strong, Tanjirou-kun.'_

_'I don't want to live like this anymore.' _Tanjirou admitted. His mental torment at the hands of Muzan had twisted his thoughts to the point that he genuinely believed that there was no way out and that his fight was futile. _'I'm so tired…' _His voice broke. He would not admit his pain or show this broken side to Muzan, but here, where his captor's eyes could not see him, he bore his soul. _'I tried to fight it. But I can feel it. The demonic influence…it's taking over, despite this resistance you speak of.'_

He sniffled.

_'When I agreed to Muzan's proposal, I didn't care about what happened to me as long as I was fighting for your memory, but now I—'_

_'You can still fight,' _His mother interrupted. _'Even if it's just by resisting losing all of your humanity. No matter what, you have not lost it all.'_

_'So…even if I become a demon, I haven't lost…?'_

_'That's right,' _Kie replied. _'Use your human will to fight him and stay strong.'_

Unable to cry anymore, Tanjirou looked at them all longingly. They seemed so happy—so at peace. His mother's words were helping him, but right then, what he wanted the most was standing on the other side of the body of water separating them. _'I… miss you all…!' _

_'Why?' _His mother asked. _'We've been right here with you all along.'_

_'But I'm so lonely,' _Tanjirou replied. _'I miss you every day…I—'_

Without wasting another minute, Tanjirou jumped into the stream, wading across to meet them.

[[SPLASH]]

.

[[SPLASH]]

_'Nezuko is safe now, so there's no more use for me in the living world. Someone else is protecting her. I don't want to live anymore as this monster I've become…!' _Tanjirou said this to them as he waded against the movement of the water. _'There's an evil demon that's keeping me. I don't know what he's planning, but I'm scared. I don't know what he would make me do. Please…I know that you said that I should fight, but I want to be where you all are…'_

_'Tanjirou…' _His mother gasped, both hands pressed to her mouth as her son fought against the current to come to them. _Are you sure about this…?_

_'I want to die,' _Tanjirou replied. _'I won't live to become some tool…' _He paused._ 'Even if I live and resist Muzan's demon blood, I'm sure he'll find a way to regain control. Muzan hates to lose…'_

_'Dad, look!' _Shigeru, his little brother, shouted excitedly. _'Brother's finally coming to meet us!'_

**_'Kamado Tanjirou…'_**

In the distance, as though belonging to yet another delusion, he heard Muzan's voice calling him, beckoning to him.

**_'I can feel your life force fading. Where do you think you're going?'_**

That voice, beguiling and strong, spoke with a slight irritation.

**_'Are you trying to die?'_**

Tanjirou tried to ignore the way his entire body had frozen up immediately.

_Move._

_Move!_

His legs refused to obey.

_Please._

Still nothing.

Like a marionette for Muzan, Tanjirou's body fought against his great desire to cross over to death, now that its master was calling.

**_'Come.'_**

**_'Do not go to them.'_**

Ignoring Muzan, Tanjirou tried to push forward, to keep going to where his siblings and parents were waiting but his legs were two leaden blocks. He could not move. He could not cross the stream and find peace.

As long as Muzan existed, Tanjirou knew that there would never be rest for him.

His eyes glazed over and he stared longingly at his family one last time.

He could no longer see them clearly and little by little, their figures were fading away.

They were waving goodbye.

_No._

_'No…!'_

_'Don't leave without me…!`_

They disappeared.

Tanjirou's teeth pressed together in rage.

Muzan had taken his family away from him again.

He turned to where the demon's voice had come from.

**_'Tanjirou. Listen to me. You will not die without my permission.'_**

"…" That voice made his stomach churn with disgust and looking past the stream and far into the distance opposite, he saw the source, dressed in a black shirt with red tie, white pants and a white hat. He was standing quite some distance away, in the form where he was a male with curly black hair.

As soon as their eyes locked, an uncontrollable anger rose in him.

The more he looked at Muzan's smirking face, the more the thoughts of his dead loved ones filled his mind.

And the more he could see Nezuko's crying face.

_'Muzan…!'_

His rage was ginormous, blind and full of grief and Tanjirou's feet started moving, taking him out of that stream and closer to where his mental image of the other demon stood, with large, purposeful steps.

.

[[TAT]]

.

[[TAT]]

.

[[TAT]]

.

_'I will kill you.'_

His steps transitioned into a run.

.

[[TAT]]

[[TAT]]

[[TAT]]

.

**_ 'Yes. That is it, my pet. Come to me~'_**

**_'You're trying to fight my demon blood, but I will win.'_**

**_'I always win, even against those who think they're special~'_**

**_._**

As Tanjirou was almost within reach, Muzan smiled, and the blue skies within that dream, once dotted with puffy white clouds above the beautiful garden where they were, turned a dark, muddy red.

Tanjirou though, was so filled with naught but the desire to pummel his target to death, that he did not notice this.

**_'Yes. Come. Come and I will make my control seamless.'_**

**_'Let me mark you. You will be mine at last~'_**

Muzan reached out to grab him but then Tanjirou halted right before he could make contact, for like a shock to his senses, he heard Giyuu's voice, the same as it had been when the Pillar had spoken to him on the night of their big fight against the master demon,

_"Tanjirou. Calm down."_

_"Calm yourself down."_

It was as though his friend was right there in that darkness with him.

Tanjirou halted immediately and instead of finishing that last step that would have taken him to where the voice was baiting him, he closed off his mind and heart, forcing himself to wake up.

**_'Hmph.' _**With fingertips naught but an inch away from his neck, the mental image of Muzan frowned. Then faded away.

oOoOoOoOoOo

* * *

**CHARACTER CARD: KAMADO TANJIROU **

GIVEN NAME:

KANJI. ... ... ...RŌMAJI

竈門 炭治郎. ...Kamado Tanjirō

OTHER NAME

KANJI ... ... ... ... ..RŌMAJI

UNDISCLOSED ...UNDISCLOSED

CHARACTERISTICS

RACE: HUMAN (FORMER)

DEMON (PRESENT)

SUB TYPE: UNDISCLOSED

GENDER: Male

AGE: 15

PROFESSIONAL STATUS

AFFILIATION

1) Demon Hunter Corps (formerly),

2) **UNDISCLOSED

PERSONAL STATUS

Alive

BLOOD DEMON TECHNIQUE : UNDISCLOSED

* * *

**Notes:**

THOUGHTS I WANT TO SHARE FROM THIS PAST WEEK:

1) Child Muzan had a lot of time on his hands that day when he carved those markings on Tanjirou :o

2) Yes...Before he left that morning, Muzan did draw the drapes to keep the sun out. Did he do it because he cared, or because he did not want the sun to dissolve Tanjirou before he could torture him again? Hm...The world may never know.

3) Muzan has been torturing him over the past month to break him so that Tanjirou would beg to become a demon just to end his suffering and then accept his mark (Upper Moon 1). He **_could _**have made him a demon by force, but wanted to see him decline into despair (He's giving in to his sadistic tendencies).

4) KibuTan. Wow. I did not even know the ship name for this pair. Found out about it this week by chance. Before, all I knew was that I loved them since the moment I laid eyes on each of them. Like "Damn…this cute, pure, kind, diligent cinnamon roll will be perfect together with that handsome, sadistic demon that kills people in alleys."

Sorry, but I just love the Hero x Villain trope. Love to see my favorite characters struggle against the great evil and observe their mental upheaval as they experience some kind of emotional change in the process. I really like emotional conflict in fiction. To me it's an art, but this is the first time I'm writing a darker romance or a smut with a monster / supernatural being / non-human.

* * *

Thank you for reading! And for all your follows / favorites and comments - I really appreciate it! See you in the next chapter


	3. Bond Part I: Adjustment

**Notes**:

1) Ganbatte Tanjirou-kun!

2) Ah…so you may have noticed that the tags for this story have changed. That's because I realized that since the story has grown, I may, in later chapters, have to write a possible sexual encounter instead of referencing / summarizing it. This made me very nervous as I have never done smut for a being on Muzan's level before. You know…the kind of sex that is not going to be normal! But then… if you are familiar with the type of smut that I am known for writing, you'll know that you guys will be in for a wild ride once my nervousness wears off. A certain uke will get wrecked uwu

Let's see how this whole story turns out in my style. I'm really curious!

* * *

**Chapter Summary**:

Part 1 & II Summary:

After his battle to fight off Muzan's demonic conversion, Tanjirou has lost and is now a demon. Muzan though, is not pleased by his victory against the Demon Hunter as he has only managed to gain physical control, thus failing to gain full control of his mind. Because of this, he's determined to try until he succeeds.

Tanjirou, contemplating his current state, decides that he needs to be grateful for his little victory and formulate a plan on how to deal with his new reality. This plan helps him to regain a bit of hope but he has no idea how persistent Muzan is…

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

oOoOoOoOoOo: The start / end of a dream

xxx: End of a section

_"Memory of a conversation."_

* * *

_Dreams that can't be erased, or stopped _

_Even now…_

_I can become stronger for someone's sake_

_Thank you, sorrows…_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 3: Bond Part 1 - Adjustment

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Six hours later. **Location:** Muzan's Manor. **Time:** Around dusk.

Tanjirou yawned.

He was lying in bed, determined not to fall asleep—a task that was far from easy.

It was as though there were invisible weights, heavy and unable to be dispelled, over his eyes.

Eyes that, in spite of feeling weary and listless, he fought to keep open.

"Can't go back to sleep…" he mumbled. "But I'm so tired…"

.

It would have been nice to enter that dream again—the one where he was in the beautiful garden—and permanently pass on into the peace and rest that awaited him in the afterlife, but the problem was that waiting for him, deep in his subconscious was something else.

_Muzan_.

His sworn enemy who was determined to not allow him to exit this life without his permission.

Clearly, the full scope of the revenge the demon was plotting for him, was not complete.

_._

_How did he get in my head so easily?_

Tanjirou frowned.

_Is there a way to cut the link that we share?_

.

He thought about this for a while, but came up blank.

.

_"I've tweaked my body considerably."_

_"I've also removed Kibutsuji's curse…[and] adjusted our bodies so we can live without consuming humans."_

_._

_Tamayo-san said that she 'tweaked' her body and broke Muzan's curse…(**[1]**)_

_What does that even mean?!_

_She never went into details._

_And I don't know what Nezuko did to break her link with him._

_Maybe it was from not eating humans._

_Or was it the distance from Muzan…?_

_Somehow…I can't remember exactly how she did it._

Tanjirou's gloom was pronounced.

He needed to figure out how to conquer Muzan as soon as possible—if it was possible.

_Time is running out._

_And worse of all, with that weird dream I had earlier today, mom had been right. _

_I possessed a resistance to demonic blood._

"…" Tanjirou's lips were a thin line of self-disappointment as he recalled his most recent blunder.

In his struggle against his captor, he had come to learn that, resistance or not, that it was all hopeless to dream of conquering his physical change.

Muzan had made sure of that.

_._

After he had passed out on consuming that initial dose of Muzan's blood, the demon had most likely imbued his body with more of his blood in the event that he possessed a resistance.

Therefore, after hours of fighting the influence while his body was locked in a constant state of pain, his innate resistance to demonic blood failed as soon as his mind had.

_Muzan's blood was too strong. And in this state, I was too weak to fight him._

_My mind was destined to fail because…I no longer possess the will to live; especially after I went and trusted Muzan to keep his promise._

_._

Tanjirou understood now that this was something Muzan had anticipated and most likely factored into his plot to psychologically torture him.

What better way was there to weaken him than to make him realize, a minute too late, that he had made a dire and irreversible mistake? One that he should not have made in the first place?

His mental fortitude would definitely take a plunge.

.

_"Become a demon."_

_"That's the only way to save those close to you~"_

_"If you let me convert you, I will spare those you care for~"_

.

Muzan's voice had been smooth—reassuring even. And the scent he had given off was devoid of deception. He had set the perfect trap but Tanjirou knew that it was ultimately his fault for trusting him.

There was much that he had not taken into consideration when he chose to focus on what was to be gained by accepting Muzan's bargain. He had underestimated his enemy.

Yes. Tanjirou should have known that Muzan, having been made aware of his skills—ever since the moment when he had sniffed him out in Asakusa—would have naturally factored those skills into his overall plot to deceive him.

Muzan was not the type to make the same mistake twice.

He would have taken any of his previous faux pas into consideration and evolved to be able to deal with his target's extraordinary senses.

That was the kind of villain he was.

He would have worked to become even more adept at changing his aura into anything he wanted in order to eliminate his weak points ([2]).

And the result of those astute efforts was that Muzan, the progenitor of all demons, who already possessed pristine shape-shifting skills, now had the ability to mask his putrid scent of deception at will.

In his perfectly woven web of deceit, Tanjirou did not stand a chance. He trusted and lost to one to whom donning a trustworthy aura and a scent free of dishonesty was child's play.

He never should have trusted him and now, to be honest, he was scared.

He preferred to die, rather than to become Muzan's tool, but in his most recent attempt at crossing over to death, Muzan had stopped him right in the midst of it and attempted to take over his mind.

Tanjirou had thought that their battle had been over when he was tricked into accepting the demonic blood, but he was wrong. It had only just begun and the full scope of it was that the real victor would have control of both his mind and body.

Thankfully, while being baited in that dream to fall for yet another trick, Tanjirou had grasped the only way of escaping from Muzan and that was to force himself to wake up.

Sadly, Muzan's influence had anticipated this, and proceeded to make quick work of completing its takeover of his body in that moment of weakness.

He may have escaped having Muzan gain complete control of his mind, but his body was lost in the battle.

Apparently, his individual resistance and strong will could only take him so far.

_._

_"Changing a Breaths user into a demon is always hard."_

Muzan had said this to him during one of the times he had woken up the night before, panting and sweating profusely, to see the master demon seated next to him on the bed.

_"But how beautiful it is that your change will happen regardless of what you do."_

_"So go ahead. Continue your useless thrashing about—it will only weaken you further for my influence to take over~"_

_._

As the entire scope of Muzan's preparation to carry out his plot descended on him, Tanjirou could see now how many precautions the demon had taken to ensure that he would win him over.

_._

_Above all, he__ made sure to weaken my mind and body so I couldn't put up much of a fight against his blood._

_Why did he have to win?_

_Why did I have to lose?! _

_How will I be able to fight him if I won't be in control of my body in his presence?!_

_Why—! Damn it…_

.

_"You're trying to fight my demon blood, but I will win."_

The words Muzan had said to him in his dream were confident.

_"I always win, even against those who think they're special~"_

_._

And Muzan had been right. In spite of the fight that he had put up, it truly was all 'useless thrashing about'.

It had taken many hours, but the transformation was now complete.

And as soon as it had been, all the pain from attempting to fight off, then acclimating to Muzan's blood had disappeared.

It was like the much awaited calm after a disastrous storm, and while Tanjirou was glad to no longer be in a constant state of excruciating pain, the end of that suffering signalled the beginning of another.

His new life—His new reality—as Muzan's possession.

Tanjirou was not stupid. He was vaguely aware of what awaited him.

Any "body" that Muzan altered with his blood, would be under his full control.

_._

_Damn…_

.

And as the possibility of his future fate hung over his head like a gloomy promise, Tanjirou closed his eyes, wishing with all his heart that Muzan would not always visit him in his dreams or in real life.

This was probably asking for too much, but he wished that at least, his sadistic keeper would continue visiting him as irregularly as he did when he was human.

That was all he wanted—to see Muzan's face rarely or not at all.

Was that really too much to ask?

Especially after all that he had endured, the gods might be kind enough to grant him a reprieve.

Maybe Muzan might grow bored and give up on his quest to drive him into submission.

He might even kill him or leave him chained to that bed for all eternity.

Honestly, as grisly as it may seem, Tanjirou preferred those odds to their alternative since that would mean that Muzan would not be using him to hurt any humans.

Even as a demon with a death wish, he had hope.

If Muzan left him alone, he might figure out how to get out of that mansion and break free of his control entirely.

He could then make his way to the Demon Slayers' Headquarters where they had the resources to help him regain his humanity.

With this possibility, Tanjirou felt a bit of his willpower return to him.

All was not lost. It could be done.

He could become human again.

_The drug to revert Muzan's influence exists and as long as it exists, there is hope. _

_But…_

Tanjirou's frown twitched, deepening further. If there was no way he could escape, and Muzan refused to give up on driving him into complete submission, rather than lose his sanity and become a tool that would hurt his friends, he would rather be dead.

If Muzan killed him, his problems would be instantly solved.

He had made a promise to Nezuko some time ago that they would never be apart again. He did not want her to be lonely without him, but if he was to become a tool for Muzan, they were better off never seeing each other again.

It hurt his heart to think this, but if only to keep her safe—even from himself—he would do anything in the world.

These were Tanjirou's feelings and as quailed as he was about his circumstances with so many things having gone wrong in the past twenty-four hours, regardless, he had had one wish come true.

The mere fact that Muzan had not suddenly decided to stay with him during the daylight hours, to mock him while he was undergoing his transformation, was a small blessing Tanjirou remained extremely thankful for.

And any little blessing in his gloomy reality was greatly welcomed, as his new body was already bombarding him with unwelcomed urges.

It was hardly a few hours without feeding in his new form and he was pushed hard against the edge of no control.

His demonic instincts were strong.

Every hour felt like an eternity.

He was starving.

All he could think of was the great hunger clawing at his mind, body and soul with its destitute, depraved fingers.

His sanity was slowly slipping away and his body was becoming impatient; continuously calling for human blood and flesh to replenish itself of the energy loss suffered during its conversion.

Tanjirou was at his limit.

And he knew that if Muzan were to gain full control of his mind at this stage, he would definitely kill a human.

.

_I have to stay strong._

_I have to stay strong…_

_._

Tanjirou closed his eyes, trying to tame the body he had no control of.

_Stop._

His nostrils flared as he trembled and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

_Please._

_It's wrong to kill and eat humans._

_Don't think about feeding._

_Stop desiring it…_

He tried to use his Breaths to focus and increase his mental fortitude but he was on the edge, about to lose it.

_I—_

_"Tanjirou-nii."_

It was the whisper of a voice so quiet. So gentle.

_"Don't give up."_

Those words floated around him, instantly working to soothe his demonic urges.

His eyes shot open.

_Nezuko?!_

Nothing but the silence of that lonely room and the fading daylight playing over the shadows cast by its exotic furniture met his senses.

Had he been imagining things?

He could have sworn that he had just heard Nezuko's voice, encouraging him to keep going.

It was just like this that time at the Butterfly Estate when he had been in pain, mentally tired and worried about leaving her behind to go off on another mission.

Nezuko had been sleeping, but he had heard her voice loud and clear encouraging him.

_"I know you can do it, Big Brother."(**[3]**)_

Her feelings had reached him, as they always did whenever he was in doubt of his own abilities.

That was the strength of their bond as siblings.

So now that he was steeped in the fear that he would lose his sanity, and the scraps of his human morality, the memory of his sister, like a beaming angel returned to him.

"'Don't give up', huh?" Tanjirou repeated, his voice coated with exhaustion.

With that utterance, he recalled their battle on Mt. Natagumo against Lower Moon Five and then in Asakusa. Nezuko had been extremely tired afterwards—so much that all she had done for some time afterwards was sleep.

_Ah._

And even before that, she had been sleeping a lot.

_"Nezuko's condition is extremely rare and unique."_

_._

_"I understand that she was asleep for two straight years, and I believe that her body underwent changes during that time."_

.

With Tamayo's words, immediately, an idea suffused his brain.

_I can—_

But as soon as he got the idea, it dissolved with the tired yawn that left him.

_No. I can't do as you did, Nezuko,_ Tanjirou thought, remembering how his sister had always slept to renew herself instead of feeding on humans.

_Muzan is waiting for me on the other side of my consciousness…_

_But if I stay awake and refuse to eat, the alternative isn't good either._

_._

_"Normally, any demon who [go long periods] without consuming the flesh or blood of a human or beast would unquestionably go berserk."_

_._

_Maybe if I just wait for a little while without feeding…it won't be long enough for me to go berserk._

He yawned again.

_I'm sure I can get out of here soon…_

Weary eyes blinked up at the ceiling.

His vision was beginning to get fuzzy.

_So tired._

Clearly, his body had intentions that deviated from the reasoning provided by his mind.

If he could not feed, his new body automatically wanted to shut down. And even as he fought the demand, aware of what awaited him if only he were to fall asleep, his eyelids were too heavy to keep open and he soon nodded off.

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Next Chapter Title: **Bond Part II: The Master and His pet

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Muzan's strategy...intensifies?

* * *

No matter the pain  
Go forward (go forward), go forward (go forward), keep going ahead (keep going ahead)  
Cut away the despair  
Even with all I've lost, even with all I've lost  
I have no choice but to keep living  
Even if I am beaten down  
There are things to protect

**—_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

* * *

**End Notes:**

Poor Tanjiro is so tired but I wonder if sleeping truly is a good thing to do right now...

* * *

**References: **

[1] Episode 8 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

[2] Episode 26: Not even the Lower Moons were able to decipher Muzan's aura when he appeared before them. I theorize that after his encounter with Tanjirou in Asakusa, he worked hard to adapt even better to hiding himself but that of course is just my opinion ^^;

[3] Episode 25. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Tanjirou hears Nezuko encourage him.

* * *

Thanks for reading and for your support! I might give you guys a surprise update much sooner than usual for the next chapter! All depends on how well I can manage. I'm a little unwell rn but I'll be ok...I'll just torture Tanjirou some more in my future chapter drafts as revenge...


	4. Bond Part II: The Master and His pet

**Notes**:

Chapter 3 was a bit late because I was adding a lot more stuff to it so that's why I'm updating with this one this soon!

* * *

**Part II Chapter Summary**:

In the battle to gain control of both his mind and body, Tanjirou is aware that he is at a disadvantage. He tries to stay awake, fully aware that Muzan is too powerful to battle in his sleep but now that he has fallen asleep, trouble waits.

He is about to learn just how difficult it is to resist his demonic Master.

**Chapter Bonus:** Yes. See "End Notes" at the bottom

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

oOoOoOoOoOo: The start / end of a dream

_"Memory of a conversation."_

_'Conversation within a dream.' _

**_'Telepathic speaking'_**

* * *

_Dreams that can't be erased, or stopped _

_Even now…_

_I can become stronger for someone's sake_

_Thank you, sorrows…_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 4: Bond Part II: The Master and His pet

.•.

.•.

oOoOoOoOoOo

**N.B.:** **Location:** Inside Tanjirou's dream… **Time:** N/A

__'Ah…!'__

Tanjirou gasped, looking around with a wary, animalistic glare.

Caution was infused throughout his entire body, seeping out into the environs and creating a tense, dense aura in the serene space.

He was ready for anything but what met his eyes was a view similar to the dream he had had earlier that day. He was in the midst of that beautiful garden again.

Colourful flowers were everywhere, infusing the air with their syrupy addictive scent, and combining with the crisp freshness of the lush green grass at his feet that went on for miles.

It was a sea of bright green dotted with pops of colour and as the cool breeze combed over the grass, carrying the brilliance of the entire space forward, it filled his lungs and heart with peace.

That peace was cleansing and pure, spreading out from his heart in a slow, healing whisper to wash over him entirely.

The dark expectation in his eyes faded away.

His muscles relaxed.

Tanjirou closed his eyes and as he breathed out, his demonic features faded away.

He was human again, at least for now, in his dream world.

And with the fading away of his curse, the ever-present gnawing hunger that haunted him faded away as well—along with his worries and the metal shackles binding his wrists.

He was free.

How odd it was that his dreams could be such a paradise when his reality was far from such. It was as though his pure and beautiful soul was so unaffected by his demonic change, that it was able to cleanse him within his dreams.

But Tanjirou had been shackled to that bed for so long that the absence of the rough leather collar around his neck and the cold metal weight clasping his wrists and rubbing his skin raw was actually missed.

In his imprisonment, he had been trained so well to react with caution to any sudden change that being free of his bondage in his dreams was momentarily quite off-putting to him.

_Ah._

As his sensibility slowly returned, and the full understanding of where he was filtered into his foggy brain, Tanjirou's brow knitted briefly before a look of surprise infiltrated his features.

_This…_

Expectantly, he looked around, hoping to see those he had met with before in his last dream, but unfortunately, his beloved family was nowhere in sight.

Neither was the raging stream with its bright red lotus blossoms in the distance, nor the abundance of quiet crimson lilies guiding him to the path he could take to reach the afterlife.

He sighed, looking down at the sole crimson lily that was near his feet, swaying in the gentle breeze like a lone straggler—lost and looking for a place to belong.

_'I guess it's just you and me,' _Tanjirou mumbled with a frown, lowering himself to sit cross-legged next to it.

If he was not to be allowed the liberty of death, then he would have to learn how to exist in his present reality as a demon until he could be cured.

_._

_"I know you can do it, Big Brother."_

_._

_Thank you, Nezuko. I know what I have to do now._

Tanjirou sniffed the air.

_It is dangerous to be in this place, though._

_I don't know when Muzan will realize that my mind is vulnerable…but I can still try to rest my body a little. _

_It's the only way to stop the hunger and stay sane._

_._

_"You have a beautiful soul there."**[1]**_

_"Demons do nothing but lie. Losing all reason out of self-preservation, they murder humans with their instincts laid totally bare."_

_"Tanjirou, please do all that you can."_

_"Knowing that you are working hard…I can rest easy now."_

_._

Those memories of what Shinobu, the Insect Pillar, had said to him several months earlier filled him with strength.

_'A demon with a beautiful soul?' _His question tumbled like a quiet grumble from betwixt his lips._ 'Would you still think that my soul is beautiful if you can see me now?'_

There was a brief pause, wherein the answer unequivocally came to him.

_'Yes.' _Tanjirou smiled slightly. '_You've always believed in me… So if it's for you, if only because you believed in me, I will do all that I can.'_

_'If I have to be like this, I don't want to become a demon that has lost its mind…'_

_Muzan may have won the first round, but I'll ensure that I endure till the end._

Tanjirou closed his eyes, entering into a meditative state with his Full Focus Breaths([1]).

If he continued to practise them in his sleep, then his strength in the real world would not waiver.

Demon or not, he would continue just as he had been doing throughout his thirty-day-stay at Muzan's Manor prior to his conversion.

His resulting impeccable concentration had helped him to deal with Muzan's physical and mental torture and now, more than ever, he needed to keep his mental wall strong against any attack that Muzan was most likely plotting against him.

.

_"All I can do is work hard."_

_"That is the story of my life!"_

_"Hard work is the sum of daily efforts!"_

_"It can be one step at a time! Move forward!"(**[2]**)_

_._

He smiled as his own words to himself at an earlier time helped to boost the feeling that his mental strength was returning from the pit that it was in that day.

Being unable to move meant that he did not have access to the luxury of practising his sword swings, obstacle training or resistance training, but as long as he could practise his Breaths and rest to avoid the hunger pains, then there was still hope.

There was someone he had to get stronger for. His friends needed to be protected from what he could potentially become.

If he could maintain his mental strength, Muzan would fail to use him as a tool to hurt anyone.

_All isn't over as yet._

_My body may be different in the real world; it may no longer be under my control, but as long as I have control of my brain, I won't become a monster._

_I'm sure of it._

Unfortunately for him, as soon as he thought this, a dark presence enveloped his entire mind.

**_Tanjirou._**

That familiar darkness bled into the beautiful space that he was in, souring the air with the scent of evil.

**_I can feel it. Even as a demon, your soul remains pure. Why is that?_**

**_Tell me. _**

**_Why is my pet defying me?_**

**_Do you want to be punished?_**

Tanjirou felt a chill travel through his entire body, but he maintained his Breaths and typical ironclad concentration.

_Focus. _

_Do not let him affect you._

_Yes._

_He cannot hurt me in here. _

_I am in control. Just got to hold on a bit longer…_

_._

In the real world, he must have been asleep for scarcely forty-five minutes.

That scant bit of rest was not enough.

He would not be able to wake up without a tremendous amount of effort and would still be hungry and a little tired when he woke up, but he could not risk being in this space with Muzan.

His angelic blessing, in the form of his sister's encouragement, was naught but a brief respite in the face of his torture at the hands of his demonic captor.

His plan to rest away the hunger would only work for short periods.

The strong telepathic connection all demons shared with their Master, would ensure that Muzan was made aware of whenever he was vulnerable.

He could not risk the demon figuring out that like Nezuko, he was trying to enter into a deep state of sleep to fight off the urge to feed on humans.

If that happened, then it really would be all over for him.

_I'm so hungry…and I can only forget about the hunger and the pain when I sleep._

_How do I even wake—_

**_Tanjirou._**

That voice was a bit more insistent this time and Tanjirou felt it at the core of his very soul.

_**I'm not happy right now.**_

.

He looked around, expecting to see Muzan standing nearby, but the master demon was nowhere in sight.

_Where is he—?_

_**Submit.**_

_'...!'_

The entire space within his dream was plunged into an utter and relentless black, and a multitude of crimson lilies suddenly sprouted up around him en masse.

.

.

_'Urr…!'_

_._

A painful shock went through his entire being and little by little, he felt the pressure of Muzan's presence in his head increasing.

He valiantly held strong against that invasion, gritting his teeth at the strain of fighting someone as powerful as Muzan.

_He's so strong…! He's trying to—_

.

[[Whoosh]]

.

The direction of the wind changed and as it did, Tanjirou was thrown backwards.

[[Thud]]

As he fell back in the grass, with the crimson lilies surrounding him like the beautiful red plush of the endlessly black coffin of his dream, he was consumed by pain, and the burning sting of having had the air knocked right out of his lungs.

[[Gasp]]

That blow had completely yanked him out of his zone of concentration and disrupted his Full Focus Breathing.

Added to that, he could not get up. Could not struggle or do anything other than breathe and blink.

His movements were frozen.

Panic washed over him.

Something_—_a weight_—_was sitting on him, pinning his body to the ground, and along with some kind of compulsion that made it impossible to move his limbs of his own free will, Tanjirou was trapped.

**_Pet._**

**_I can make you feel pain and suffering, but there are other things that I can do to torture you._**

_Muzan's voice…!_

**_The human brain can adapt to pain. But desire is a different type of torture…_**

_._

**_Do you know the true nature of this body I gave to you? Have you ever felt desire without end or relief?_**

**_No satisfaction. No pleasure. Merely a hunger that you can never understand or placate?_**

Muzan paused, and Tanjirou, not knowing what to say, glared up at the empty space where he assumed that he was.

The searing silence between them stretched out, tense and cruel.

**_Ever since your conversion, _**he continued at last, **_You have put up powerful mental blocks to prevent me from invading your mind, but I will break them down and unlock your body's true feelings._**

Muzan released a snide laugh, and the air felt so cold that Tanjirou shivered.

**_It seems that, in your dreams, your body appears to be human due to your desire to become such again. I'm going to make you get used to one fact—_**Muzan laughed again—**_You have a demon's body now and in this state, there is something…someone, that it naturally wants to submit to. You will see how hopeless it is to resist me. I will make you aware of the fact that dream or not, I can still control you…_**

The sound of that cruel voice informing him of his fate had made Tanjirou's alert eyes search the area above him with more desperation, utilizing his ability to tap into the "see-through world", but he could neither see nor sense anything. He could not move, and the weight atop his body remained in place.

_He cannot hurt me in here. He cannot hurt me in here… __Tanjirou recited to himself, but was immediately pulled out of his concentrated attempt to ignore Muzan, when th_e invisible force helping to pin him down shifted, and his entire body trembled as he was hit with another compulsion.

"...?!"

This command was different from the last, and caused his caution and panic to instantly evaporate into a cloud of lust; a reaction that Tanjirou was neither familiar with, nor possessed the propensity to comprehend.

_'Ah...!'_

The strange new feeling bombarding him felt forbidden and addictive, and despite his best efforts to fight it, it mounted as the blood racing through his veins sped up.

Tanjirou tried hard to comprehend why his body had been plunged into this utterly passionate reaction, but try as he did, he failed to comprehend what was happening.

He tried to concentrate, tried to regain the rhythm of his full focus breathing but his body was more focused on wanting to pledge its obedience to the one that was holding it still.

His lips parted and his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. If he had to describe what was happening to him, Tanjirou would have said that it was as though, without being touched, his entire body was feeling incredibly hot and in need.

He could feel his cheeks heating up, as though he had a fever and his body was constantly assaulting his brain with persistent demands to ask Muzan to touch him.

_Why would I want him to do that?!_

_Stop!_

_Stop...!_

_Stop...it...!_

But despite his best efforts, the question, 'please touch me', lingered at the tip of his tongue.

_No...!_

Thankfully, Tanjirou's mental strength was strong enough that he was able to push back this urge, but in its place, a gasp, edging on a moan, left his lips.

The sound, edging on utter desperation, surprised him as it sounded as though his body had just communicated to him its thorough frustration of his stubborn refusal to do what it wanted.

_What...?!_

_My voice…_

He sounded so needy; as though this situation was something he had always been longing for. It was as if his body was responding and submitting to the proximity of the one it recognized as a supreme being—its Master, and his mind could barely keep it in check.

He panted, his eyes crazed and his thoughts skewed.

_This..._

_This...!_

**_Are you ready to obey now? _**Muzan asked, in a calm, beguiling tone**_. Tell me that you belong to me; mind, body and soul—_**

_'No!' _Tanjirou managed to hiss. _'I don't know what it is you're doing to me but I won't ever belong to you…!'_

**_I can see how frustrated you are. Your body is aroused by my presence. I can put an end to this if you do things my way._**

Instead of responding, Tanjirou, still feverish from his body's lust, kept his gaze to the far right and away from the mesmeric voice that was addressing him—a clear rejection of Muzan's gracious option.

Muzan scoffed.

**_Don't feel proud because you can resist your own desires,_** he told him.**_ Yes...your mental strength is impressive, but there will be no merit in this resistance - only pain - because I am very persistent. _**

A light touch on the side of his face had Tanjirou directing his gaze upwards and with that move, he could feel a pair of eyes studying him.

**_If you insist on being this stubborn, I'll just have to keep searching to find a way to break you down._**

Muzan's glare went down to the depths of his very being.

**_._**

**_Do not look away from me, _**he commanded, and in response to the intensity of that stare and the quickening of his heart, Tanjirou took in a sharp breath through moist, trembling lips.

_What…? Muzan… He's…ah! _His thoughts were trapped in the haze of his lust. _Everything is becoming intense… _

What felt like a hand, was gliding up the side of his torso and the desire in him became hotter.

_He's trying to distract me…_

Tanjirou's guess was right.

The strange feelings that the demon was calling up from within him were an attempt to derail his powerful mental fortitude.

He could not think.

His entire body felt happy, free and thrumming with delight.

His lips remained parted and his eyes widened.

_Please…stop…_

Tanjirou prayed for the feelings he was experiencing to go away, but that plea failed as he was not in control of his body—Muzan was—and no amount of mental cajoling or focus would aid him. All he was, was just a mere spectator.

Muzan, ever the being to evolve in order to conquer an unexpected challenge, had already risen above his last defeat.

After that initial failure in attempting to acquire full mental control of Tanjirou by taking control of his mind in his last dream, Muzan had clearly learned how to bypass his mental resistance—by using the one thing he had control over_; _his body.

And the effectiveness of doing so was just as Tanjirou had feared.

_Ungh..._

From the light touch on his face, something was working its way through his skin and up into his brain, and the dizziness brought on by those invasive, dark tendrils became overwhelming.

He was held still for their investigation, and their exploration of his mind was extremely demanding; threatening to wrestle his mental control away from him.

They were probing over the secret parts of his subconscious, exposing all that he held precious, unknown and apart from others to waiting, greedy eyes.

With his mental wall broken down, it was clear that Muzan was searching his memories, thoughts and desires to find a way to force him into submission.

_No…!_

Tanjirou did his best to resist Muzan by working hard to push him out of his head. He knew full well that their fight was a battle of wills, where the victor would have complete control of his mind and body.

_I…cannot lose…!_

If he gave up and lost all control to Muzan, his soul—the very essence of who he was—would die right there in that bed of crimson lilies where he lay.

Whomever he would wake up as would not be him and his friends would be in danger.

_No! I have to protect them! I cannot lose! _

_I have to resist him…!_

He was locked in a game of Tug of War with Muzan and trembling with the force of fighting the excruciatingly pleasurable wave of longing that continued to roll over him, Tanjirou could feel himself losing.

His body loved the experience of being touched and having its brain probed by its Master. It wanted to be dominated, to give up control, and was willingly handing over all his secrets to Muzan, but inside his conscious mind, where his real self resided_—_

_No. No. No!_

_What is this? What is happening...?!_

_My head is going to get messed up..._

Tanjirou knew that there was only one way out of this situation. Gritting his teeth, he gathered his strength to resist with an even greater compunction, every desire that Muzan was forcing him to feel.

And with great determination, he momentarily broke through the restriction Muzan had placed on his body's movements and bit down hard on his bottom lip, hoping that the intense pain would wake him up.

_'Ungh!'_

The pungent taste of blood filled his mouth and at the same time, the weight over him, as though knowing what he was attempting, became vile, heavier, and vengeful; moving up his torso to settle what felt like hands over his neck.

But this move at coercing him into strict obedience was one second too late—Tanjirou's attempt at starting to regain his mental control had been successful. The dark tendrils had been shut out of his mind.

'Ack…!'

Tanjirou choked, spitting up the blood in his mouth as the hands around his neck tightened. He could feel his mental control slowly returning, but with it, Muzan's face appeared in the darkness above him.

**_Do you know what you're doing in resisting me?_**

Although his curly black hair was well kempt as usual and his apathetic expression remained unchanged, it was obvious that the master demon was thoroughly pissed off, by the presence of a vein popping up on the side of his forehead.

He was frighteningly unpredictable.

_Wake up. Wake up…! __Tanjirou begged himself. Wake up…please…!_

His command was urgent, with a desperate undertone, knowing that Muzan could regain the upper hand and succeed in his attempt to subdue him at any moment.

**_Choose wisely, Little One, _**Muzan hissed. **_We can do this the easy way, but if you keep resisting, it will be the hard way for you._**

Tanjirou's mouth was a bloody mess but he bit into his lip again.

_Why is this taking so long?! _

_Why am I still here with him?!_

_No. No. No… Wake up!_

_'Go ahead~' _Cloaked in the darkness, Muzan smirked wickedly, lowering his head to whisper in Tanjirou's ear, _'Continue running and choosing to defy me and I will show you how this Master disciplines his pet~'_

That dark promise hung in the thick, stifling air between them, making Tanjirou sick to the depths of his very being.

_Oh gods help me…!_

He could feel the spark of danger in that dark space becoming charged; multiplying to impossible heights.

He had to wake up while he still had control.

_I can't risk being taken over by this demon—_

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Next Chapter Title: **The Fallen.

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Muzan wants to kill Tanjirou sooner, rather than later...

* * *

Even if you lose, you have no choice but to live

There is something to protect

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

* * *

**End Notes:**

Note: NEXT UPDATE, 20TH DECEMBER (if all goes well)!

**Today we have a guest in this Author Notes segment, the one and only Muzan Kibutsuji (audience boos).**

1\. Kudos to Tanjirou , he has superb mental control. I would have crashed and burned even before the lust could fully take control. Welp.

Author: *Turns to Muzan* Some people seem to think that you took control of Tanjirou's body to forcefully make him desire you. Is that so?

Muzan : No. All I did was hold him down. Demons under my control are naturally drawn in by my charisma and powerful leadership skills.

Author: So…you're like a walking aphrodisiac with a touch of BDSM, then?

Muzan : -.-

Author: How does it work?

Muzan : I can show you, but I'll have to turn you into a demon first.

Me: Ok, for the purpose of the demo I guess you can— *gets stabbed in forehead with fingernail*

Muzan : Tell me that you belong to me; mind, body and soul—  
Demon!Author: Yes  
Muzan : What...  
Demon!Author: Yes  
Muzan:...  
Demon!Author:...

Muzan: Why is this so easy tho? Aren't you scared?

Demon!Author: Let me join you on your quest of destruction  
Muzan: Okay...I'm going to find someone else. This is boring.  
Demon!Author: Wait! Do you want me to beg? I can beg if you want me to  
Muzan: Stop following me. I'll kill...  
Muzan: On second thought, you might like that. *disappears*  
Demon!Author: Sigh. I wonder if Tamayo's drug can change me back…?

Human: *Walking by*  
Demon!Author: I'm suddenly in the mood for some fresh, raw thighs…

(lol I'm just being silly...what I'm saying is that Tanjirou has more mental strength than I do haha...ignore me)

2\. Muzan gave him an option: the easy way or the hard way and I guess that our hero chose the hard way, so what's an author gotta do? Write it ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

3\. Tanjirou's body was thirsty for the demon d*** but poor Tanjirou doesn't understand stuff like that. He's a pure boy.

4\. Muzan is not going to be happy that Tanjirou-kun has successfully rejected his attempt at subduing him yet again :0

P.S.: Oh no…I hope that Tanjirou doesn't have any embarrassing secrets, because Muzan has just learned them all…

Ah yes Muzan…you read his mind like a book and brought a whole new meaning to the words "mind rape". Thankfully, Tanjirou escaped it. Hmmm… :)

**CHAPTER BONUS:If you want to see a KibuTan drawing I was masochistic enough to torture myself for 10hrs with attempting, please check out BrownsugarProd1 on Twitter!**

* * *

**References:**

[1] Manga Chapter 50

[2] Full Focus Breaths: these are also known as "Total Concentration, Constant" in the anime.

[3] Episode 24 when he was practising full focus breathing

* * *

Thanks for reading and for your comments / follows! I read all your reviews and I appreciate them very much. I will keep doing my best!

And, to the lovely reviewer who recommended the Obanai stopping Tanjiro video to me, you are a blessed soul. Here's a tip my friend: play that video at 0.25 playback speed! It will go at a super slow speed and you will see Tanjiro scream in slow motion! Oh boy... now I'm growing concerned about the sadist in me that laughed in glee while watching this.


	5. The Fallen

**Notes:**

1- I'm sooooo tired x_x Writing and editing this chapter in a little over a day when I randomly decided that I will take an extra day (beyond the proposed release date for the new chapter) to write this instead of posting the other I was preparing was not easy. But I wanted to show Muzan's feelings and thoughts before I focus on Tanjirou-kun again. I feel super tired now tho. Like…preparing for Christmas with all the cleaning and moving around heavy stuff, along with the high temperatures here and writing constantly had me x_x

Maybe that's why I was a bit more sadistic in the tone of my writing for this chapter, so…yeah (Tanjirou-kun isn't in this chapter but someone will get rekt). Got a headache rn. I'm going to have to get some rest as this Christmas is proving to be a very tiring one. In any case, I'm proud of this chapter because I did my very best. I hope you all are having a good season though and that this update makes you smile!

2- Most of the time, whenever I introduce OCs to a story, it's for the purpose of death and / or suffering… A wise friend recently told me, as I was complaining about this tendency of mine, that it is no surprise that I torture my OCs when I've been doing the same to other people's characters for quite some time now. Apparently, at this point it is expected.

I-I learned something new about myself.

* * *

**Chapter Summary**:

After Tanjirou's rebellious act in rejecting and kicking him out of his dream, Muzan's thoughts are consumed with the boy once more as he struggles to not kill him, but his feet are already taking him back to the mansion where he's keeping him.

He strongly believes that Tanjirou needs to be taught to respect his Master's authority. Is there anything that can possibly calm his overflowing rage and ease the tortured boy's looming fate?

**SPOILER WARNINGS:** In this chapter, there will be manga spoilers for Muzan's future appearance. He's bringing sexy back with his Combat Form…

****Chapter Bonus:**** Yes. See "End Notes" at the bottom

**CONTENT WARNINGS:** Some description of blood, gore and the like…

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[Badum]]: Heartbeat

[[Sssk]]: Slithering sound

_"Memory of a conversation."_

* * *

_Good and evil become intertwined under water_

_It looks transparent, like a hypocritical divine punishment_

_Tell me why_

_Tell me why_

_Tell me why_

_Tell me…_

_I don't need you!_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 5: The Fallen

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** At the edge of the forest, in a nearby defunct village. **Time**: Dusk

.•.

Muzan closed his aching eyes, rubbing at his temples in an attempt to ease his stress.

It did not work.

Tanjirou's words to him continued to ring out in his head repeatedly.

_._

_"I don't know what it is you're doing to me but I won't ever belong to you…!"_

_._

The mere fact that he had lost to him again was eating away at the scant bits of his sanity.

Muzan hated to lose.

_Kamado Tanjirou._

_Kamado Tanjirou._

His teeth ground together and the pain in his eyes intensified. The strict control he had built around himself to keep from killing Tanjirou was becoming undone.

_Kamado Tanjirou…!_

With lips downturned, brow furrowed and eyes glaring at an indistinct, darkened point on the street ahead of him, Muzan's anger was palpable and he picked up his pace to walk faster. It was another day spent constantly thinking about Tanjirou and he was not in a good mood.

He was not one to get incensed easily. Most times, he responded with indifference or boredom to people, circumstances and things.

And he definitely was not one to allow his emotions to get the better of him.

Often, nothing was really worth him reacting to with sincere awareness, as Muzan strongly believed that everything was beneath him.

A near-perfect being,([1])—that was what he was—someone who had lived for one thousand years, and there was scarcely anything or anyone who could move his heart, frustrate, or garner a lot of genuine interest from him. He had seen and experienced it all and did not care to waste his energy on useless things. He was apathetic through and through.

Well, that was until the day Tanjirou walked up to him on that busy street in Asakusa and made him take notice of him.

And take notice he did.

Like the insignificant bug he believed him to be, he sought to crush him—that one boy with Yoriichi's Hanafuda earrings.

But like a cockroach, he kept surviving everything he threw at him until he became all that he ever thought about.

Until they were facing each other again.

Until Muzan decided that, he did not want to kill him—yet. He convinced himself that Tanjirou dying suddenly would only leave him bitter and unsatisfied.

The boy deserved a long and acrimonious path to death; one that he would gladly seed with misery and trepidation.

But keeping Tanjirou alive was no easy task. Doing so forced him to face things he never would have chosen to tolerate.

It tested his patience every single day; having to deal with those burning eyes of hatred and blatant impertinence at almost every thought and turn.

This was only worsened when he had chosen to read Tanjirou's mind with the intent to find a way to weaken him, as what started off as a simple task, culminated into yet another stressful realization for the demon king.

Tanjirou's mind was...interesting...and Muzan learned right away that what he was dealing with was a far more difficult case than his prior assumptions could have prepared him for, as when he broke through Tanjirou's powerful mental barriers, it was to see that the boy possessed a mind that was filled to the brim with thoughts of him.

But the thoughts contained within were not thoughts of supplication.

In spite of the intense torture Tanjirou had suffered at his hands for the past thirty-one days, his mental condition had not weakened and he had not lost sight of his goal.

_"__Kill Muzan"_, was boldly tattooed into the fabric of Tanjirou's being. Over and over and over. It was as though the boy was a robot.

Ever since his family was killed, killing him was all Tanjirou lived to accomplish. All that he lusted after. Through great trial, distress, depression, unjust judgement and whatever life brought to his plate, the death of him, Kibutsuji Muzan was all he wanted.

Thoughts of hate, disgust and rage overlapped each other and within the mind of that kind, pure boy, Muzan saw and experienced his dark emotions as though he was present in each moment that was shown to him.

For one so young, Tanjirou was incredibly focused and revenge was a never-ending concept in his mind. That, memories of his family, friends and all the rigorous training he had been through in his quest to kill him.

Even when Tanjirou cried, got angry or confused, following each pitfall, his brain would reset right back to the goal he had accepted as his life's purpose.

.

_"Kill Kibutsuji Muzan."_

.

He was never deterred. Never distracted.

He experienced life as if he was on autopilot; taking in only that which helped him toward his goal.

He was kind to everyone, not with the intent to make friends or with some hidden ulterior motive, but because that was just how he was. Friends were not actively sought after but merely happened as a consequence of his journey and became cherished.

And he was kind, but not stupid.

Allies he admired were chased after with the hope that they would train him to become stronger—with his overarching goal still in mind, of course.

He lacked the desire for social interactions. The entirety of his free time was spent training to get strong enough to challenge him.

When friends refused to share his zeal, he merely continued on and left them behind, knowing that they would catch up at their own pace but not allowing their poor dedication to their goals to cause a distraction.

.

_"__Muzan… I have to…Kill him."_

_"__Kill Muzan."_

_"__Kill Muzan."_

_"__Kill Muzan."_

_._

Tanjirou thought about him while he was talking to others, while he ate, trained, bathed, and slept.

His dedication was insane._  
_

Now Muzan understood why Tanjirou had been able to resist the great lustful desires his demonic body attacked him with. Even an internal attack was nothing compared to what he had been through in his quest to achieve his goal.

Kamado Tanjirou desired nothing but his total annihilation.

It was as though he had a one-track mind.

Muzan hated to admit it, but that was quite admirable.

Tanjirou was a diamond in the rough—someone possessing great potential—and if someone like him were to become a loyal demon, he would be a valuable tool.

Dedicated. Driven. Ceaseless.

Like Akaza was.

All he was lacking was loyalty.

"Hmph." Muzan's expression was locked into a distinct scowl.

To want something and to have it remain outside of his grasp was generating a feeling that he hated with all his heart.

He was at an utter loss, trapped within his inability to figure out what could be done to win the loyalty of one who wanted nothing but his destruction.

One who had conquered even demonization.

Fear had not worked so far, as Tanjirou feared neither pain nor death. He would rather die than pledge his loyalty to him.

Mind break was his only option, but breaking a formidable mind like Tanjirou's without killing him was proving to be extremely difficult.

Muzan was stuck. His patience was incredibly low.

_Tell me…Tell me…Tell me…._

_Is it worth keeping him alive?!_

_I don't need him…!_

_But…_

His present lust to erase Tanjirou's existence and his prior desire of wanting to keep him alive were at odds.

He seriously doubted that he could see his revenge plot to the end, as what he truly desired at that very moment was to put his hands on Tanjirou's neck—and wring it.

There were people who would beg to become demons.

There were demons who would do the impossible just to get a drop of his blood. To get the chance to walk at his side as a prized servant.

But for this boy who naturally possessed a boundless potential, who proved to be compatible with his blood in spite of an inborn resistance, refusing him at every turn had become a habit.

Of course, Muzan held unsavoury intentions for wanting him on his side, but with every rejection, his patience plummeted lower and lower.

Now, because Tanjirou had him in a constantly sour mood, that boy's face was all he could think about.

Tanjirou's enraged face.

Even when he slept.

Tanjirou's lips curled up in a snarl.

Even when he closed his eyes, Tanjirou's voice was in his ear.

.

_"I don't know what it is you're doing to me but I won't ever belong to you…!"_

.

Those words went around in his head repeatedly.

_That brat._

_That disrespectful boy._

Always doing his best to ignore him. And when he was not doing that, he was either being crude or affronting his authority by saying deliberately unsophisticated, nasty words.

_Why am I even interested in him? _

Muzan's gaze narrowed.

_A country bumpkin like that would take too much time to train._

__Polishing him into a diamond is a waste of energy.__

_I don't need him._

_I should really get rid of him. _

_Nothing he says is ever worth listening to. _

_It's all the same "Revenge". "Revenge". "Revenge"._

_"Hate". "Hate". "Hate".  
_

__Kamado Tanjirou.__

Always calling his name with disrespect.

.

_"Muzan!"_

_._

__Kamado Tanjirou.__

Always talking as though he had the ability to kill him.

.

_"Muzan Kibutsuji! No matter where you go, you're not getting away! I'll follow you to the depths of hell, and I swear I'll slice off your head with my blade! I'll never forgive you no matter what!"__**[2]**_

_._

_Kamado Tanjirou._..!

Always acting as though he was above him.

.

_ "__What are you saying?"__**[3]**_

_"__Muzan. You are a being that should not be allowed to exist."_

.

"He needs to learn his place," Muzan grumbled, clenching his fists to his sides as his form changed in response to his swelling rage.

His black hair turned white, growing down past his shoulders.

His canines extended, and a red overgrowth marred the side of his face, traveling down his neck to disappear beneath the collar of his turquoise blue shirt.

.

_"I don't know what it is you're doing to me but I won't ever belong to you…!"_

.

Muzan grinned and his aura radiated pure evil.

.

_You don't belong to me?_

_No, no. that won't work, Tanjirou._

_I will teach you that you do belong to me._

_I will spill your guts and make you beg for me to spare you._

_._

Yes. It was time for him to train an unmannerly little pet like that to respect his authority.

_Yes. _Muzan's grin turned into a nasty smile that spread across his lips.

_Should I start by cutting off his limbs one by one and feeding them to him? _

_Let's see how much he could snarl and talk back then._

Muzan trembled in sadistic excitement at the thought of Tanjirou bathed in blood and crying while licking his shoes.

_I'll make him beg for his Master's forgiveness. _

_Let's see how much he could scream my name with that same prideful expression__—_

[[Whoosh]]

Just then, a whiff on the evening breeze caught his attention.

Five persons were walking in his direction and he could hear their lively conversation, although they were still quite some distance away.

"…"

_Oh._

Normally, Muzan ignored humans, if he was not intent on feeding.

But today…

The sudden distraction shifted his thoughts from Tanjirou and for a brief second, his evil smile eased away as one filled with ruthless intent creased his lips.

xxx

**N.B.:** Two minutes later. **Time**: Dusk

As the exhausted sun settled in, after a long day at work, it took with it the pure blue skies splashed with a haze of fluffy white clouds. In their place, it painted the darkening sky with streaked, mixed bursts of orange, red and yellow; a lively precursor to the night that would soon cover the land.

Daylight had mostly faded away and the resplendent glow of dusk kissed the treetops and crawled down through the empty houses to vaguely illuminate the lonely street.

All of this made for a serene, beautiful picture except for—

"Ah…!"

A ghastly scream pierced the still, tense air, emanating from the young woman who sobbed miserably, shaking with the boundless fear and confusion that was wracking her small frame.

_What is happening…?_

Her hands gripped the edges of her pretty, patterned summer dress, whose mix of blue and white flowers had received a splattering of blood to add to their stylish canvas.

_What is happening…?!_

_Dead…dead…they're all—_

[[Badum]]

[[Badum]]

Her heart stuttered and her breathing was loud, coming in gasps as though she was having a panic attack.

[[Wheeze]]

Just a minute earlier, things had been fine. Neither she nor her companions were being intentionally reckless. Yes, maybe it was foolish to move around in a deserted place where the night was closing in, but their map and guidebook had indicated that the little village was an area not known for crime.

Not a soul lived in or near to that nondescript, decrepit little nook in Japan and to get there from the nearest town required a long train ride and an even longer walk.

Ranking among one of the least popular tourist sites, it was verified by the authorities to be completely uninhabited and that was what they too had believed, but clearly, that was not the case.

What had started as a place to embark on a little adventure, was to end as a place that would become their grave.

The five of them were tourists visiting one of the towns several hours away, but had ended up in the abandoned village when her brother insisted on coming to see the place where all the residents were rumoured to have disappeared in one night.

_"What's the matter with you? Why are you being such a coward?"_

_"What would we even meet in a place like that? A ghost?"_

A lover of all things eerie and supernatural, his eyes had been shining so brightly with enthusiasm when he had said this in response to her caution, but now…

She looked into the blank, bloodshot and lifeless stare of his decapitated head near her feet and screamed again.

"Ah!"

[[Gasp]]

The tears pouring down her cheeks were endless and her thoughts were in a jumble.

[[Badum]]

[Badum]]

She could not move. Could not run away. Her gaze was glued to the sight of what was left of her family.

Yes. Just a minute earlier, she had been walking through that street, tired but happy, with her aunts and younger brother, conversing about everything she could think of. Now, the worn cobblestones, still warm from the retreating sun, were bathed in their blood and littered with their body parts.

Something, an unseen weapon, had slashed through them at an astounding speed; spraying their blood everywhere.

The young woman knew full well that her escape was only due to the fact that she had lagged behind to tie the little laces that had come undone on one of her brown Oxfords.

In one second she was arguing with her brother for rushing her, and in the next, she was looking up to see that her brother and aunts were staring at something ahead.

She could feel their fear and soon, she too was quivering when they were no longer standing in front of her.

_What? What? What…?! _

Had she lost her mind?

Had she fainted from exhaustion and was having a nightmare that somehow felt too real?

_Wake me up. Wake me up…_

_Please…!_

A robbery or other assault was what one would expect on a darkened, lonely street, but to be confronted by such an otherworldly calamity intending to take their lives was too much for her brain to process.

The tall, serious-looking man who had suddenly shown up before them had said nothing before their nightmare commenced.

No preamble or reason for his grisly decision to murder them was given, but they had known their fate from the moment that stranger had appeared, bringing with him an overflowing miasma of venomous anger; putrid and deadly.

Frozen by terror, the frightened tourists had stood unmoving in the midst of his malicious aura, but even if they were able to move, it was clear that had they tried to run, there still would have been no chance of survival.

And then it began.

Without hesitation, a bloodbath was unleashed.

It had scarcely been half a minute since then.

He was standing still, but something, lethal and too fast for her eyes to see had whipped out from him to demolish everyone.

Everyone except her.

What had it been? His arm? Something else?

_How—_

Feral, pink eyes turned to look her way and her breath stopped, frozen in her throat.

Doom, despair, misery. These were seeded into her very soul from that simple glance.

_I'm…_

_I'm going to die_

_I'm going to die…!_

This was the part of one's dream where one would normally wake up…was it not?

_Wake up…!_

"No…no…!" A scream left her as she slipped in the blood and torn guts under her shoe.

[[Thud]]

Her attempt to run ended in an awkward fall, back onto the uneven ground, but she continued to scramble backwards.

This was a man who walked with death. A man who **_was _**death.

[[Whoosh]]

A cool breeze wafted through the village, whistling in between the cracked slats of broken windows and doors of the empty houses flanking the street where they were.

[[Whoosh]]

The long, wavy white hair cascading over his shoulders moved gently in that breeze, but his pale face remained mostly covered in shadows. All that was visible were his sharp, lethal eyes.

[[Pant]]

[[Pant]]

[[Wheeze]]

She had to get away from those eyes.

The man, dressed in fancy clothes as though he was a businessman, merely looked at her but the predatory look he was giving her made it obvious that she was his next victim.

"No…! Don't come near me…!" She shouted at the white-haired stranger. Even though he made no move to come to her, her body moved on its own, hands and feet backpedalling on the blood-soaked, murky ground in a futile effort to get away from him.

"So noisy." Muzan frowned.

[[Whip]]

"Ack!" Widening eyes, a sharp bloom of intense indescribable pain from her abdomen, a sputter of blood jetting from her lips, and dazedly, the young woman looked down in utter disbelief at the appendage that had speared right through her abdomen and was lifting her up.

It was textured, tubular, rigid and covered with what appeared to be multiple mouths bearing sharp teeth, along with sharp spikes.

Overwhelmed by the incredible pain, she vomited blood as her hands gripped that tentacle, and despite being cut by its spikes, she tried to pull it out as her feet kicked wildly at the empty air.

"Ung…"

An impossible feat, but it must have been her will to live that made her struggle.

"Ah…" She groaned as the blood from her hands coated its textured ridges and instead of moving away, the part that had pushed right through her body wrapped once around her torso to hold her arms firmly to her sides.

[[Sssk]]

As it squeezed, its spikes went into her chest and back.

[[Gasp]]

It was hard to breathe. She was drowning on the blood filling her lungs.

[[Gasp]]

[[Wheeze]]

A desperate gasp and a choked sound was torn from her trembling, bloodied lips. Like a powerful band of hard muscle, the tentacle wrapped around her was strong, and struggling was useless—once caught, she was naught but a tiny sparrow, wrapped up in the clutches of a lethal snake.

[[Pop]]

The breaking of one of the bones in her right arm rendered that arm useless, and immediately she went still.

Now that her struggling had stopped, one of the mouths closest to her abdomen extended a lazy tongue, wet with saliva to lick at the ripped, bloodied edges of her torn sundress.

_This…_

She was being eaten alive.

"Oh. What a surprise." With a cold expression that voided this declaration of 'surprise', Muzan cocked his head to one side. "Marechi[4] blood, hm?"

"Urgh…"

[[Cough]]

She choked on the profuse blood slipping past her lips as the tongue that had been feasting on the blood from her wound, came up to rub against her chin, licking away the blood there.

Beyond panic and in so much pain that she could not make a sound; the tears streaked down her cheeks in distressed rivulets.

_Uh…_

Her body was growing weak. Could hardly keep her eyes open. And as death approached, her disoriented eyes half-glared at the monster that had lashed out at her and her family.

"Thanks."

That utterance sounded so far away.

Did he just thank her?

Did she just imagine that?

Did—

Her vision was hazy but she could have sworn that there had been a flicker of movement on his lips to accompany his spoken gratitude.

A smile?

[[Cough]]

She shuddered weakly as sharp teeth bit into her shoulder and another into her side, but that was merely her body's reaction; weird really, as she was unable to feel anything other than the pervasive chill that went right to her bones. She could no longer consciously move, think, or speak.

_Uhnm…_

A wave of exhaustion fettered her consciousness and with a final groan; she fainted.

Muzan looked at the young woman. She would soon be dead. Maybe he should make her into a demon.

_Maybe not._

Everything he did danced to the tune of his ever-changing moods, and right then he was not really in the mood to make a demon.

With a callous shrug, he shook his extended arm to dislodge her body, and as it fell, he retracted that appendage back to his side.

In the semi-darkness, a smirk played over his lips, making his indifferent expression seem more grisly as his gaze went down to his clothes.

As usual, despite the carnage he had just unleashed, his clothing remained spotless.

"Mm…" Muzan breathed out and with that breath, his residual anger left him.

The area where he stood—cold, lonely and stinking of fresh blood—made quite a dreary picture but he smiled, grateful for having met that group of tourists on the way back to his mansion.

An unexpected development to meet people out in this location, but had he not, the rage that had been building in him ever since he had been kicked out of Tanjirou's subconscious mind, would have continued to grow until it was spilling over.

And he surely would have killed Tanjirou when he got home.

The fallen had served a great purpose. They had taken the anger he would have regretted venting on his pet.

"Yes," Muzan mumbled, turning to walk off that dark street and onto the path that would lead him to the huge forest that bordered his mansion, "Thanks."

XXX

* * *

****A/N:**** Typical of Muzan to be living in a big ol' mansion in a huge creepy forest...

**END NOTES SECTION (long notes sorry!):**

**Today we have a guest in this Author Notes segment, the one and only Muzan Kibutsuji (audience boos).**

**1-**It's clear that Tanjirou's not going to have an easy time with Combat-Ready Muzan here, but it's a good thing that Muzan got rid of that stress before going home to his waifu—I mean captive...

Author: Yes Muzan, good job…why kill or torture Tanjirou-kun when you can be loving him! Right?

Muzan: *glares*

Author: Plz don't kill me for saying that ^^;

**2-**Lol the real victim in this story here is Muzan. He was minding his business, looking for his Blue Spider Lily, until that fateful evening when Tanjirou walked into his life…

Author: Sounds like a really good story to tell at the wedding banquet.

Muzan: *glares*

Author: S-since you're not saying anything, does that mean you agree?

Muzan: *glares*

Author: Haha you know, I'm looking forward to when you tell the story and make that first toast to a long life of prosperity together! *cheers* Woohoo! Kanpai!

Muzan: *glare intensifies*

Author: And when he walks down the aisle, Tanjirou can even have a bouquet of Red Spider Lilies, not because they match his hair, but because you never found the blue ones lol. Almost one thousand years with countless demons and even twelve demon moons at your disposal and still nothing! Lmfao

Muzan: *glare reaches dangerous levels*

Author: I…I'm really…putting my foot in my mouth here, aren't I?

**3-**It is said that 'there's a thin line between love and hate' lol.

Author: *Looks around dramatically* Somebody please tell this guy that he's THIS (holds up two fingers that are almost touching) close to falling in love with that 'disrespectful boy' that he hates.

Muzan: *glares*

Author: Is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?

Muzan: *glares*

Author: Anyways…Like seriously. When you're dreaming about someone, can't stop seeing their face or hearing their voice… Doesn't that sound a little bit like love?

Muzan: *growls*

Author: *runs off to stand at a 'safe' distance* ┌(;・ω・)┘

Author: Hey. I didn't call your name this time so if the cap fits **_you_**, then just wear it! Admit that you don't really hate—*gets stabbed with a tentacle*

**If the Author Survives:**

**Next Chapter Title: **Hanafuda Earrings.

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Muzan returns to the mansion…

* * *

**References:**

[1] Episode 8: Muzan stated that he is "a living being who's infinitely close to perfection."

[2] Manga Chapter 14

[3] Manga Chapter 181

[4] A rare and precious blood type among humans. One Marechi is said to be equivalent to 50 normal humans

* * *

**Chapter**** Bonus:** A podfic for this chapter! See Brownsugarprod1 on Twitter for the link to the audio!

* * *

Thanks again for keeping up with this story, for leaving your reviews and for favoriting / following this! Your reviews and support are appreciated a whole lot. I will keep doing my best!

**Special Note:** Thanks so much to my wonderful readers and to TanakiNova who reviews every chapter haha XD Thanks for checking out my art and yessss headphones really do make that Obanai video better! I felt Tanjiro's pain right down to my soul xD

Yesssss, in this story, poor Tanjirou has no idea what he's just sentenced himself to. He thinks that he's seen the worst of Muzan but Muzan's just getting started ;D Just wait till Combat-Ready Muzan shows him what he can do! Oh my I think everyone likes to torture Tanjirou...like Shinobu broke his jaw, Obanai almost broke his back, Gyomei put him through that torturous training and now Muzan in this story...lol Anyway, have a great day!

* * *

.


	6. Hanafuda Earrings

Notes:

Happy New Year Everyone! Hope you're well. I ended and started the new year with writing hardcore yaoi not for this story but yeah...one of the best ways to start the new decade! Hope you like this chapter _(:3」∠)_

2- Ah...I want to write and draw so badly but I've been doing that so much and for countless hours over the past few weeks that my dominant hand is cramped. Yeah. I'm limited by my own human mortality. It's like if I'm not being slowed down and attacked by the atypical writers' or artists' insecurity, I'm writing or drawing so much that my body can't keep up with my brain's demands. What...?

I've been pushing through the pain for the past week and still writing / drawing endlessly because I'm an obsessed, sadistic b***h to myself but I'm going to have to stop (at least for a few hours...). If I don't, it'll be like the last time when my hand was locked up for days...

* * *

**Chapter Summary**:

One wants to gain full control while the other wants to regain the control that had been stolen from him. Following Tanjirou's conversion and their personal battles to gain full control of his body and mind, both Tanjirou and Muzan each find themselves thinking a lot about the other. These thoughts are far from pleasant, as are the changes they have also discovered themselves undergoing, as a result of their interaction.

* * *

**SPOILER WARNINGS:** In this chapter, there will be manga spoilers for some of what happened in the Dimensional Fortress.

****Chapter Bonus:**** Yes. See "End Notes" at the bottom

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

"Heh." / _Heh_: A laugh

"Hah" : Heavy / tired / exasperated breathing (depending on the context)

[[Sound]]

[[Badum]] : Heartbeat

_"Memory of a conversation."_

* * *

_Tell me why_

_Tell me…_

_I don't need you!_

_Instead of a lotus with outstanding talent_

_A blooming flower that keeps challenging _

_Is more beautiful_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 6: Hanafuda Earrings

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Back at Muzan's mansion… Ten minutes later…

.•.

"Hah…!"

Tanjirou took a deep breath, still attempting to adapt his body to the shock of having forced himself to wake up.

Back when he had also forced himself to do this, in the Infinity Train, it had not been this hard to adapt after waking.

In those dreams, he had had to kill himself in order to wake up, yet with this being far less extreme, why was it far harder to adjust?

Then, why had he awoken ready to take on anything, but now…?

[[Pant]]

Now…why was it that he could barely breathe?

It was as though his body was angry and trying to punish him for his act of defiance against its Master.

Was he supposed to just get used to life like this? Living in a body that was no longer his?

If this was its reaction to him disobeying the Demon King, then what would be its reaction when he finally managed to escape?

.

"Hah…"

"Hah…"

_What..._

_No...he—_

"…!"

As soon as Tanjirou had managed to accomplish that near impossible task of subduing his body's rage, he was met with another surprise.

_…__?_

_This feeling…_

His eyes, wide open and fixed to the ceiling, stared unblinking as his thoughts raced. He was mentally tired out from his internal battle but another challenge was already awaiting him.

_Muzan…!_

His heart thumped loudly.

The blood in his veins became even more enlivened.

_He's coming?!_

Tanjirou did not even try to stop the large quantity of loathing that shadowed his expression and took over his features.

Focusing his strength and using his Breaths, he pulled both of his arms downward; attempting what he had been doing every day for the past thirty-one days of his captivity—to break the chains that bound him to the bed.

[[Clang]]

Metal grated on metal as he pulled, twisted and yanked on the chains.

[[Creak]]

Along the length of his arms were raised protrusions; arterioles struggling to provide his muscles with the extra blood, the strength that his brain demanded.

The edges of the metal cuffs cut into his skin but those cuts were instantly regenerated.

[[Clang]]

The bed shook and twisted with the force of his struggling, yet despite all this, his attempts failed.

Determined to escape, he tried again, putting even more strength into the next effort.

[[Clang]]

"I don't want to be here when he comes…!" Tanjirou declared, gritting his teeth hard but his efforts continued to produce little results; all that happened was for the metal bedposts to bend a bit.

[[Pant]]

[[Pant]]

He was breathing heavily. He could not understand it.

_What kind of chains are these?!_

How was it that with his strength he was unable to break them?

As a Breaths User, that should have been a simple task.

And what confused him now, was that as a demon, a creature that naturally possessed a strength surpassing that of an average human, how were these chains still unbreakable?

_Ugh. _

[[Sniff]]

Muzan's scent was getting closer.

_Argh! Why is he back so soon?!_

[[Clang]]

He yanked on his chains and kicked out his feet in frustration, twisting from side to side as though throwing a tantrum.

He continued like this for at least five minutes, until he was sufficiently tired out.

_Damn it…_

_Damn it…!_

It had scarcely just turned dusk and Muzan was on his way back.

Tanjirou could not understand why the demon had not stayed away for days as he usually did.

Albeit, somewhere deep beneath all his hate, a tiny—almost indistinct—part of his consciousness was grateful that Muzan's arrival meant that he was going to get cleaned up, but if he had to choose between that and not seeing Muzan, he would surely choose to not see him.

He would rather stew in his filth and let the bugs and mites devour him than to see Muzan's face.

.

_I hate him. I've lost to him. My body is his, _Tanjirou thought, dreading the impending arrival of his unwanted caretaker. _Isn't my loss enough satisfaction for him? Why does he keep returning to torture me? What is he going to do today? Mock me about my failure? _

_Or maybe he's…_

_._

_"Why is my pet defying me?"_

_"Do you want to be punished?"_

_"Do you know what you're doing in resisting me?"_

_"__We can do this the easy way, but if you keep resisting, it will be the hard way for you."_

_._

_Another punishment…_

Tanjirou released a steadying breath, steeling himself, preparing his mind for the torture that was sure to come with this visit.

After the dream he had just had, he was still tense from fighting the demon, and his mind was strained from their mental battle, but his breathing helped to relax him.

He could not give in to his emotions.

To give in was to lose.

This was no simple enemy he was battling, and if Muzan was to do what he had done to him in that dream again—Tanjirou's body trembled in anticipation while his thoughts grew darker—then this was going to be another long and difficult night.

[[Sniff]]

Tanjirou sniffed the air, determining that Muzan was still nowhere near the mansion. Now that he was a demon, all of his innate senses had been amplified and it was those that had told him that the demon was coming to him.

This observation was long before the scent of his aura permeated the air.

It preceded even the clipping of his heels against the flat river stones that composed the walkway in front of the mansion.

This main ability that had cued him in on Muzan's arrival, was the bond he now shared with him; something that surpassed even his latent superhuman sense of smell, and his now sensitive hearing.

It was due to the fact that Muzan's presence affected him more acutely than before.

And as Muzan's presence started to wash over him in earnest, the loathing that he felt for the older male, started to slowly dissipate.

_No…_

The suffocating air the man had about him; that which used to choke him with his black aura, no longer made his hairs to stand on end.

_No!_

This hostile reaction was replaced by a strange sort of excitement; one so profound that it was as though the very structures of all the cells in his body were responding to their progenitor. Like Muzan was the sun and Tanjirou a plant, whose cells were so hopelessly dependent that their tiny chloroplasts were dancing happily in response to the presence of the pure, bright light([1]).

Muzan, the personification of darkness, had become his light.

_"__I will…unlock your body's true feelings."_

_"__You have a demon's body now and in this state, there is something…someone, that it naturally wants to submit to."_

"No…" Tanjirou whispered. His voice was like a tiny wail. "No…"

.

[[Creak]]

.

The distant creaking of the front door being opened set his heart racing.

[[Badum]]

[[Badum]]

[[Badum]]

_No!_

The blood in his veins was thrumming with excitement and Tanjirou hated these new feelings with all his soul.

He had hoped that those feelings had stayed specific to his dream, but obviously, what Muzan had been telling him was the truth—his demon body would naturally want to submit to him.

"This can't be happening!" Tanjirou hissed, feeling thoroughly despondent. His mind was the same as when he was human. It had remained unchanged in spite of his conversion.

It was just as his mother had told him in his dream—and what Muzan had observed in there as well—his soul was still pure. He had not become a mindless peon bent on serving its Master. He remembered who this demon was and what he had done to his family, friends and countless others.

He remembered his grief, loss and his promise to behead Muzan.

And using this memory to fuel his rage, he gritted his teeth, fighting the tide of unexpected excitement, need, fear, subservience and arousal that had been automatically triggered within his new body.

It was a hard fight.

What had happened to him?

Were all demons created by this creature this sensitive to his presence?

_I need to remember who I am…!_

_"Muzan Kibutsuji! No matter where you go, you're not getting away! I'll follow you to the depths of Hell, and I swear I'll slice off your head with my blade! I'll never forgive you no matter what!"_

That promise remained strong at the forefront of his brain, but his body seemed unwilling to carry it out.

The tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.

His hate. Was it fading away?

If his new body did not want to hurt its 'Master', what would happen to his pledge to destroy Muzan now that he was a demon?

"…" The full comprehension of his circumstances filled him with a dark, pervading dread as he realized that this was merely the beginning. He would have to fight these feelings of subservience and excitement every time he was in Muzan's presence.

But Tanjirou was determined, so it was not too hard to replace that unwelcomed desire with his rage. As a matter of fact, his body's desire to serve Muzan merely made his anger burn brighter and as such, he won the fight to overpower it—by a hairsbreadth.

_Ah…_

_At last—_

His victory was not to be celebrated though.

[[Sniff]]

_No…_

As soon as he had won against his demonic body, another realization made his blood run cold.

_Ah._

The overwhelming scent of blood that enveloped Muzan whenever he came to see him, the one that made him aware that the man had just fed, increased as the demon drew nearer to the room where he was being kept.

.

The smell was not the problem, though—it was his reaction to it. With each inhale, he could differentiate the age, weight, health, gender and condition of the person or people Muzan had fed on.

He could smell the quality of the blood and tonight, the master demon had fed on one nineteen year-old female with Marechi blood, three females between the ages of twenty-eight to thirty-five and one boy in his early teens.

They were all in prime health and the strong scent of their blood, instead of making him want to vomit; made his stomach rumble with an uncontrollable hunger.

With great expectation, Tanjirou's eyes; like those of a predator, focused on the closed door and subconsciously, his tongue came out to smooth over his sharpened canines before licking his lips.

[[Sniff]]

_I'm so hungry._

_I'm so—_

As soon as Tanjirou realized what he was doing and thinking, he paused and promptly turned his gaze away from the door to look at the plain white wall parallel to the side of the bed.

He was consumed with shame.

This new development added yet another strike to his ever-descending mood.

How could he live with himself when the smell of human blood was making him unreasonably hungry?

What about those people who had lost their lives to become Muzan's meal that night?

Did he not care?

_Ugh._

Tanjirou had been in denial before, but it was obvious to him now.

_I am a monster. _

A monster like the individual that had slaughtered his family.

His heart was broken.

_I—_

[[Creak]]

.

With a breathless gasp that was arrested in his burning throat, Tanjirou instantly went still.

.

"Hm~" Muzan smiled. As soon as the door to the bedroom swung open, his pink, feral irises swept over the bed to take in his captive's form. Tanjirou was trying to keep his face turned away from him, but he could see that his demonic transformation had been wholly successful.

From where he stood, he could not perceive much of his form, but the horns that were now sitting proudly atop the boy's head were something that could not be missed.

_Hm~_

As his eyes feasted on his newest creation, a sly smirk stretched his lips so wide that it appeared as though he was sneering.

Injecting Tanjirou with more of his blood in intervals during the night, while the boy had been unconscious and feverish, had really helped to ensure that he could not fight off the conversion.

_Impressive._

_You managed to not only survive, but to acclimate well to the large volume of blood you received._

_It seems that we are very compatible…_

He smirked.

_And despite your physical change, you're still struggling against my influence._

_You even have the ability to retain your human form in your dreams, but that won't be the case anymore. I unlocked more of your demonic potential, now your dreams will be as dark as the night you're destined to roam._

_My stubborn little pet._

_Heh._

_Keep fighting__, child. You will soon learn how futile it is to fight me. _Muzan thought this with an odd feeling of satisfaction that only grew when he noticed that Tanjirou had made quite a mess of himself.

His robe was ragged and soiled, his hair was messy and the bedposts he was chained to were slightly bent.

In his absence, Tanjirou had obviously put up a great fight to not only delay his conversion, but one that consisted of a valiant attempt to escape his bonds.

One that had failed.

Had he been in great mental and physical pain throughout the process?

Was it that that had made him fight so hard?

Naturally.

But...added to that, his nasty little trick in deceiving the boy into thinking that accepting the conversion would keep his loved ones safe had most definitely caused a lot of mental anguish.

That would explain why Tanjirou had been so determined to die in his first dream.

_Heh~ _

_You must be frustrated. Wondering why you're still weak even though you're a demon now._

_But I'm not stupid._

_I gave your body a command that ensures that you will never use your demonic strength against my wishes._

_My poor, little pet._

_._

His wicked smile stretched wider.

_Hm~_

Thinking of the stress, confusion and general suffering that Tanjirou had most likely endured that day, almost made Muzan laugh out in sadistic glee.

He had wanted to stay with him during the final stage of his conversion that day, but had made himself leave to let Tanjirou suffer in loneliness and extreme discomfort while going through such an intense process.

To make him ache for a reprieve.

To force him to long for his presence, if only to no longer lie in his own vomit.

But as much as he enjoyed seeing Tanjirou suffer, the opposing thoughts he had been having that day while thinking of dragging out his suffering by not showing up for a few more days did not sit well with Muzan.

He had never hesitated to ruin him before.

When his little captive was human, he would visit every two to three days to feed him, so tonight, Tanjirou must have been somewhat grateful that he had not been as cruel to him in this instance and made him lie for days in his vomit.

_Gratitude._

Muzan scowled.

He did not want Tanjirou to be grateful for that. What he wanted was to break his mind and make him subservient.

He wanted to torture him as the pariah that would take all his anger for each and every wrong that had been done to him by the Demon Hunters over the centuries.

He wanted to look at his pained face.

He wanted to prostrate him.

It was only when this boy with the Hanafuda earrings had appeared, like the harbinger of his bad luck, that the Hunters started to get as close as they had to him and he started losing much of what he had built up.

_Just like back then..._ Muzan thought with great disdain as his narrowed eyes flashed with anger at the sight of the Hanafuda earrings peeking out from under Tanjirou's bushy two-toned hair.

_He's __just as much a pest__ as Yoriichi was._

_Now that the tables have turned, I will make sure this one suffers._

His mind stewed over his current situation, contemplating just how to proceed with Tanjirou's punishment for his insurrection.

_Nothing I've done so far will suffice for tonight's lesson._

_My pet needs to learn a lesson he will never forget._

_I will beat him into submission until he's begging for death._

_But oh yes. Death would be too good of a reward for him._

Muzan smiled at these thoughts, but he could not deny the other thoughts that were skirting on the periphery of his reasoning, nagging at him for his inconsistent actions.

_Hm..._

_To allow less than one day to pass before coming to my pet this time..._

_How is that making Tanjirou suffer?_

Muzan recalled how bored he had been before returning to Tanjirou. Bored like a man who did not have many other mansions, a business and even the faux family he had created that he could have gone to that night.

He was a busy man who should not be wasting time.

Business-wise, there were other things that required his urgent attention. His most recent struggles with the Demon Slayers had plunged him into a lot of setbacks, not to mention financial losses due to Gyokko's defeat ([2]).

Yet here he was choosing to spend time with his latest toy. Every other option was too boring in comparison to Tanjirou.

_'__Boring'?_

_Since when have I been bored?_

"..." Muzan did not comprehend this at all.

And maybe it would have been okay, had this been the **_only_** weird thing that had been happening to him in recent times to make him question himself.

_Questions. Questions. Questions._

So many questions were going through his mind and all because of Tanjirou.

.

_Why was I hesitant to leave this brat alone this morning?_

_-Because I wanted to stay to see him suffer._

_Why did I return to him this quickly?_

_-To see the effects of his suffering and to punish him._

_Why am I so curious about the outcome of his demonic transformation?_

_-Hm…_

_Why is messing with him bringing me the height of sadistic enjoyment?_

\- _I'm finally getting to see Tanjirou suffer for everything he did._

As each question circled in his head, he was no longer satisfied with the answers he had come up with. Those answers were beginning to feel like flimsy excuses tied together with gossamer threads—any moment now, they would fall apart to reveal a truth he could not deny.

.

It was just too weird – the result of a trend that had been developing over the past thirty-one days of being in the boy's company.

_Kamado Tanjirou._

Not only was the ex-Demon Hunter consistently on his mind, but in every instance before returning to this mansion, a pattern had developed—ever since he had brought Tanjirou there, he would put a lot of thought into each of his tortures before carrying them out.

He had never done that with anyone else before.

Playing with Tanjirou had brought Muzan a lot of crude enjoyment and before he realized what was happening, he had started to anticipate coming to see him.

But why this boy? Was he truly using him to relieve the stress that his interference had caused? The inconvenience and anger that Akaza's death had made him feel? Or was it as he feared? Were Tanjirou's pair of Hanafuda earrings, connection to the Breath of the Sun and his involvement in Gyutaro's ([3]) and Akaza's deaths only part of the reason why he was messing with him?

And if that were to be the case, then what did it all mean?

Was he in fact more enamoured by Tanjirou's stubborn and unbreakable dedication, focus, strength and his potential to become so much more than he previously thought he was?

Was there some emotion hiding beneath the surface of his sadistic enjoyment? Something that he refused to admit to?

Maybe it was the knowledge of that something that angered him so much that he wanted to make Tanjirou suffer for causing it.

Muzan had no idea. And whenever he was confused—which was rare—he became angry.

He hated doing things he did not comprehend.

He disliked being manipulated by fate.

_Tanjirou_.

This boy. This pure untouched lotus that surpassed even those with outstanding talent. This one that continued to bloom in spite of his fate.

The more he looked at that frowning boy, lying chained to the bed, the more he realized that it was only when he was in Tanjirou's presence that his everlasting boredom and apathy, brought on as an equivalent exchange for living over one thousand years, diminished—if only by a little.

Kamado Tanjirou, that one flower that was still struggling to bloom in the midst of a storm.

He was more beautiful than the others he had so easily trampled on and Muzan knew that he had to destroy this pure light that was starting to blind him.

xxx

* * *

_Instead of a lotus with outstanding talent_

_A blooming flower that keeps challenging _

_Is more beautiful_

* * *

**END NOTES SECTION:: Author-san reviews some events from this chapter (long notes sorry!)::**

**Seems like Muzan will be a guest in the author's note for this chapter as well (audience riots). Apparently, he's here to protect his reputation in the event that the author plans to say something troublesome. The author does not appear to be too happy about this development.**

1- A lot is revealed in this chapter.  
Author: Like a closer look at Muzan's motivations and the fact that Tanjirou has him feeling some kinda way.  
Muzan: *Glares*  
Author: L-like very confused…and angry haha *sweating*

2- Will Muzan ever figure out how he feels about Tanjirou or will his pride and ego cause him to kill the ex-Demon Slayer in a blind fit of rage?  
Muzan: How I 'feel'?  
Author: …  
Author: S-stay tuned till next time!  
Muzan: What are you implying?  
Author: N-nothing Sir… please don't stab me

3- Muzan the Pot Seller  
Author: LOL  
Muzan: Hm?  
Author: N-nothing…^^;

4- Tanjirou learns that he is not only drawn to Muzan, but that his craving for human flesh and blood has been intensified following his dream encounter with the Demon King.  
Author: He realizes too that he would have to fight his body's needs as much as he has to fight Muzan's attempts to take him over. His body is hoping to get 'rekt' by Muzan, but his mind wants to wreck Muzan. How long can he hold on?  
Muzan: He will soon learn his place and submit like the lowly pet he is.  
Author: As he should, Muzan-sama

5- A hint at Tanjirou's new appearance is given  
Muzan: I need to take a closer look at him  
Author: You need to touch him  
Muzan: What?  
Author: What?  
Muzan: -.- …  
Author: I didn't say anything. I swear.

6- Akaza…  
Author *Thinking fangirl thoughts* Akaza is also my fave xD I loved him from the moment he was introduced. After grieving over that thing with Rengoku, I got over it and loved him again. In chapter 67 when he came to Muzan expecting to be praised for his hard work and got punished and shouted at instead, causing him to go outside to take his anger out on Tanjirou's sword, I couldn't help but laugh. Lol. It was so cute. It's like when you're a child and your parent shouts at you but you can't say anything to them so you go outside and kick or hit something lol…  
Author: *Thinking* Muzan is like a demon daddy.  
Author: *Smiling while thinking* He should be Tanjirou's Demon Daddy…  
Muzan: Why aren't you saying anything?  
Author: No reason…  
Muzan: And why are you smiling?  
Author: Ah…  
Muzan: I'm watching you  
Author: I'll behave

7- Oh no poor Tanjirou will soon experience torture at the hands of THIS Muzan

Author: Since you have maintained your Combat-Ready form, should I take that to mean that you're about to give Tanjirou the 'fight' of his life?  
Muzan: I'm always ready to give Tanjirou the fight of his life  
Author: Oooh haha xD Ara ara Tanjirou-kun, Daddy's home ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
Muzan: 'Daddy'?  
Author: ... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
Muzan: What is that face for?  
Author: What face? :)  
Muzan: -.-

8- So Muzan's summation about his feelings for Tanjirou is that he is "…just as much a pest as Yoriichi was"  
Author: *fighting the urge to comment*  
Muzan: *glares*  
Author: *sweating* I can't stay silent about this…  
Muzan: *glare intensifying*  
Author: WOW! Lol 'pest'? That's like the biggest lie. I know what's up and he— *gets stabbed by tentacle*  
Muzan: -.- You were warned  
Author: Ouch…! W-wait! I didn't even get to finish what—ack—what I was...saying!  
Muzan: -.- I told you I was watching you  
Author: Ah...please...come on! I'm still healing from the last time…..._(´ཀ`」 ∠)_...

**Next Chapter Title: **Unreasonable Feelings and an Incomprehension of Love.

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Now that he's in the presence of the boy who has been dominating his thoughts, Muzan contemplates his next move and what to do about his unreasonable feelings of hate for Tanjirou.

* * *

**References:**

[1] Chloroplast Movement: the jostling / orientation of chloroplasts within a plant cell in response to a light source

[2] In the Kimetsu no Yaiba Volume 16 Databook, it is stated that Muzan's source of income was in selling Gyokko's pots. Lol xD

[3] Gyutaro, along with Akaza were two of Muzan's favorite Upper Moons, according to Volume 16's Databook.

* * *

**Chapter**** Bonus:** A podfic for this chapter! See Brownsugarprod1 on Twitter for the link to the audio! _(•̀ω•́ 」∠)

* * *

Thanks again for keeping up with this story, for leaving your reviews and for favoriting / following this! Your reviews and support are appreciated a whole lot. I will keep doing my best!

**Special Note:** Thanks a million to you wonderful guys for your follows and favorites!

Thanks for your review TanakiNova! Your reviews always make me smile T_T Muzan's combat form is the best thing xDD When I saw the full page reveal in the manga for the first time, I had stared at it for a while like :o And with that smirk he looked so perverted! Omg I just realized that your username has 'Nova' in it. ASDFGHJKL What arr the chances of that?! What... Like, you'll see why in a few chapters the reason as to why I'm this shocked lmao. Like, in my drafts, I have something about a 'Nova' but I can't say what it is because that's a major spoiler but wow xD


	7. Unreasonable Feelings

Notes:

I always feel guilty for blabbing before and after a chapter, but there's always so many important things I want to say about the story. You can always skip these notes if they bother you though! I put lines to show where the chapter starts ;D

-1 Sorry for the delay in posting. Two reasons. One; there was a lot of editing to do on this chapter before I could even tolerate posting it T_T. Two; I had to increase the time between writing updates from weekly to bimonthly as I've been writing so much that I'm getting wrist / palmar pain. My hand is in a brace now lol, but the brace is helping to heal it! Now this is what I call suffering for one's craft… Three: Internet troubles! My connection kept flaking out but no worries, I ruined Tanjirou in a later chapter to release my rage...

2- One thing I'm very grateful for tho is that in spite of my hand pain, wearing the brace has helped me to finish a drawing of Tanjirou-kun! It is the reveal for his appearance and I'll post it with the next chapter as that would be the chapter when Muzan starts to get a little 'closer' to our poor little Tanjirou and sees what he fully looks like.

3- In Canon, the KNY doesn't really focus much on Muzan's thoughts. We see bits and pieces of his -motivations, past, etc., but imo he is largely a mystery. This may be mainly due to him not being a main character or the lovely mangaka wanting to keep him as the mysterious villain and an obstacle for the main characters to overcome but in this story I would like to focus on both him and Tanjirou.

As you may have noticed, I am writing in a style that takes a closer look at how he thinks / sheds some light on his internal feelings. This is so as to set the stage for future events! And in this chapter especially, I will be covering a little of what I assume his past was like, tie that into his current state / actions and show how that will affect his approach to Tanjirou.

Generally, Muzan's possible thought process and way of thinking in the series (manga + anime) intrigues me. In the manga / anime he's always so straight-faced except when something greatly angers or pleasures him and then he responds with great rage / delight. There is no in between with him. It's either apathy or an intense reaction. Thus, I picture Muzan as someone who experiences a lot of his emotions inside his head, so he appears apathetic on the outside. He is very intelligent, and someone who thinks a lot about something to find the best solution before he carries out that action.

I think that one evidence of his entire thought process is his meeting with Yoriichi, when he had almost been killed. At that time, as Yoriichi subdued and was talking to him, he did not answer and reacted with the intense rage that was on his face, leading Yoriichi to assume that it was as though he did not hear him. I also think that he did not hear him as Muzan was most likely busy thinking about his situation and how to get out of it.

So…yeah. Enough of me blabbing about Muzan . I just thought that I'll let you guys know the reason why I write Muzan this way.

-4 Did you know that the 30th made it 6,969 days since the turn of the century? I was planning to post this then in honor of that day and all my nasty ships but I had been up since 4 am writing and fell asleep x_x. Then my internet died. Obstacles galore! BUT who says I can't post it on 6,972? XD This may not be an NSFW chapter, but it's an NSFW story for one of the nastiest ships I know (and love)! I post this chapter in commemoration of this fine couple. Hooray for 6972...! Also, I'm posting this on the 02.02.20...Weird numbers abound~~

Now, on with the story!

* * *

**Chapter Summary**:

Muzan comes to a conclusion about his unreasonable feelings and actions toward Tanjirou and as soon as he does, he prepares to commence the next stage of his planned ruination for the boy. Love is something he neither comprehends the purpose of, nor desires and he finally understands what to do about this risky factor that could develop between them.

* * *

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

_"Memory of a conversation."_

* * *

_Good and evil become intertwined …_

_It looks transparent, like a hypocritical divine punishment_

_…__._

_The world can_

_Beat me down a hundred times_

_But into the light I'll always rise._

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 7: Unreasonable Feelings and an Incomprehension of Love.

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** At Muzan's mansion…

.•.

**I**T IS SAID THAT THE brightest light always casts the darkest shadow. And like the everlasting blackness that clings to the periphery of a light source, the dark will always be drawn to the light.

Good will always want to illuminate the darkness suffused in evil and evil will always want to entangle itself in good and suffocate its light.

This held true even in their situation, as Muzan could feel his darkness being drawn to the light in Tanjirou's soul.

And being the endless source of darkness that he was, it was as though he wanted to swallow him up whole.

His demonic cells ached to absorb and corrupt him.

Tanjirou made him feel restless, especially with the way he was constantly on his mind.

His preoccupation with this boy was becoming unreasonable, and his sadism to him hit the upper limits—the extremes of what was normal for a simple grudge.

He had kept him chained to that bed for weeks.

Tortured him with solitary confinement, physical pain and psychological distress but nothing had been able to completely break him.

And he had become utterly obsessed with wanting to break him.

When the boy was human and had to be given food and drink in order to live, he had played around with him, nearly letting Tanjirou die of thirst each time before coming by.

He was aware that in most situations, it took precisely three days for a human to die of thirst. Thus, he timed his visits accordingly, thereby turning Tanjirou's hunger into a type of torture and ensuring that his captive was always either on the brink of death or very close to it.

And of course, whether he was mentally or physically torturing him, he was dedicated about that task.

_Still…Tanjirou's light continues to shine._

Even when he could sense that he was silently wishing for death, the brightness in his pure soul remained bountiful and inexhaustible.

_The dark had failed to suffocate the light._

This thought angered him, filling his heart with an unnatural rage—a reaction that was odd, as anything or anyone who failed, resisted, disgusted or angered Muzan would always end up destroyed or dead.

With both hands clenched at his sides, Muzan gritted his teeth while looking at Tanjirou.

He was frustrated and angry that the boy was so mentally strong, and also angry with himself for being bothered by his own decision to keep Tanjirou alive.

Sure, on his way to the mansion he had convinced himself that he had a plan he intended to follow for his ruination, but why did he have to keep reminding himself of this every five minutes in order to stay calm?

What kind of power was Tanjirou unconsciously wielding over him to mess with his thought process this much?

Muzan was at odds with himself, hating that he was being extra careful about wanting to keep him alive just so that he could continue messing with him.

Being careful with Tanjirou, when he was generally a person who obliterated anything in his way, was an act that was beginning to mess with his feelings.

.

_"Why...are you doing this to me?__**[1]**__"_

.

The night before when Tanjirou had asked him this desperate question, was the moment when Muzan's eyes had been opened to see his own inconsistent behaviour.

And much to his displeasure, he realized that he had left Tanjirou's question unanswered because he honestly did not know the answer either.

For all this time Muzan had been wholly convinced that he was being his usual sadistic self in keeping Tanjirou alive. Could the truth be that he was acting so out of character by doing this that even Tanjirou was befuddled?

But after deliberating over it for the past twenty-four hours, the answers he sought were finally coming to him.

_Everything's clear now, _Muzan thought. _It's __my revenge.__ It has to be that. That's the reason why I'm so preoccupied with this brat, why I'm keeping him alive, and why I anticipate seeing him__. _

_To endlessly carry out his earned punishment._

_Nothing else matters. Even if I'm not acting like myself, it must mean that I'm just dedicated about doing this._

And just like that, the decision was made, without accepting any of his other considerations. This was the decision Muzan would take as the explanation for his increasingly odd behaviour and obsession with Tanjirou.

He breathed out a quiet sigh of relief, feeling an immense weight lift from off his shoulders.

To be spending this much time with Tanjirou and learning things about him that he had never cared to learn about anyone was incredibly stressful and it had been a long time since he had been this stressed.

Living for nearly one thousand years can do a lot to a person's subconscious and Muzan took everything in stride, never allowing anything to antagonize him too much.

He had seen and heard about the birth and death of many, the rise and fall of civilizations.

He had seen great families become vagrants and cities become rubble.

In his quest to conquer the sun, he had been to every known and unknown corner of the world and done all the things that interested him, and even the things that did not.

Math, science, biology, physics, philosophical studies—he had read many books and had a vast, unmatched knowledge.

His desire for knowledge had grown especially after his repeated encounters with several exceptionally skilled Demon Slayers and particularly following his encounter with Yoriichi.

Muzan's extensive knowledge of the biological sciences and genius level intellect granted him great control and focus in changing his body. He was not merely some schmuck who had gotten lucky with being granted immortality. He worked hard to understand his state and how to keep manipulating and improving on his body.

The many years he had been alive had brought him great knowledge and awareness in exchange for the hard work and dedication he put in.

He had done all kinds of jobs and gotten married several times. Had lovers of whichever gender he permitted to entertain him, and even had harems.

Muzan had indulged in all the pleasures of life, so to say that he was experienced in the way things worked in their world would be the understatement of the century or, more accurately, the last ten centuries.

But in spite of all the things he had done and all the places he had been to, one thing was evident; he was extremely bored.

Bored of overzealous Demon Slayers preaching the same rhetoric constantly. Bored of humans and their repeated mistakes over the centuries.

And irrepressibly bored of his demons' incompetence in ending the Slayers and finding the Blue Spider Lily for him.

Boredom was stressful on its own, as it reduced his tolerance for certain actions, people and situations. And this was understandable; after living for a lifetime or more accurately **_ten_**, things began to get repetitive.

In the end, it was all just the same human actions in different eras.

And that was why Muzan was so intrigued with Tanjirou. Naturally, the stubborn determination and recklessness the boy possessed were acts he had seen one too many times, but there was something about him that was fascinating enough to catch his attention.

It was the kind of something that he refused to admit was threatening to chase away his boredom.

He did not want to want Tanjirou for anything and this realization of the effect the boy was festering in his mundane life was building a fear in him.

In between his adventures, many of Muzan's years had been spent mostly alone, but even when alone, he continued to avidly search for the Blue Spider Lily and the secret to being able to walk in the sun.

His only fear was that he would never reach his goal, but now that he had acquired an additional goal and had become obsessed with ruining Tanjirou, he had found one other thing to fear: love.

Yes, Muzan was deeply afraid of falling in love and he was not so foolhardy as to ignore the gut feeling that he was beginning to have about his dealings with Tanjirou. He was aware that his preoccupation with Tanjirou, his reluctant admiration of his mental strength, the fact that the ex-Demon Hunter was bringing about changes to his routine as well as his life and their current proximity, all bore enough risk to develop his feelings of hate into something that came close to resembling that reckless emotion.

It was not that he cared in any way for the boy at present to warrant this fear—it was actually the opposite—but his concern was that he who had never cared to understand or accept the purity of love and all that it was, might continue doing things to fall victim to it.

_If the dark continues to cling to the light, hoping to suffocate it but never succeeding, then what happens?_

_Good and evil become intertwined._

_They become one, yet remain separate with the darkness forever clinging to the light and the light remaining wrapped up in the dark._

Muzan's lips twisted up into a scornful frown.

To be honest, Muzan had no knowledge of that which he was fearing. For all he knew, love was a plight and the mere fact that it was unknown to him made it all the more frightening.

How could he protect himself from what he did not know?

What was it that made people love each other?

Why did people go to great lengths to protect those that they loved?

Muzan's egoism made him unable to grasp this and to be bothered by something he considered a petty waste of his time was definitely at the root of what was stressing him.

And as this stress was making him hate Tanjirou even more, Muzan knew that he had to figure out a way to subvert the risk posed by this boy, otherwise he might just end up killing Tanjirou in a fit of rage.

And to kill him quickly after working so hard to ruin him in a methodical and well thought out manner was something he could not do.

There was another time when Muzan had worked hard while feeling as though he was fighting a losing battle.

That was back when he was human, in a time he could scarcely recall and never thought about. He had been very weak, ill and locked away in a lonely room devoid of love.

A terminally ill heir that was taken care of out of obligation and the slight hope that he might make a miraculous turnaround and carry on the family name as he was supposed to.

In those days, all Muzan received each day were looks of pity for his current state, disappointment that he was born with a failure of a body and the whispers of a gossip that he was disabled with sickness due to an inherited family curse that he was bearing.

People were cruel but he did not care. They could say or think whatever they wanted as he needed neither their understanding nor their pity. All he longed for was the strength to live another day so that he could be cured—so that he could live his life the way he wanted to outside of his gilded cage.

To be able to walk in the sun amongst others, that was his dream, but when he had finally been granted his wish to recover, he remained unable to see or feel the sunlight.

He was stronger than everyone, a near perfect being, yet those incompetent and grossly imperfect humans who were completely beneath him were privy to enjoying and squandering the things he could not.

With the blessing of his cure, he received a grave curse, and since then, being restricted to the night reminded him of the restrictions of being ill and he longed to overcome that.

Divine punishment disguised as a tasteless joke was what that development was—a punishment he was stuck with for nearly one thousand years.

Seasons and people changed as the years went by, but the only thing that remained the same was that he was haunted by his imperfection until conquering the sun became the only thing he craved as it was the one thing he cared about that he could never have.

Thus, he had no time for knowing or understanding love.

Sure, over the years, Muzan had people who married him or became his lovers for the sake of love, but he had never loved any of them.

To him, love was an inconvenience. A distraction that made one weak, likewise to the sorry state that afflicted the Demon Hunters who relentlessly chased after him and suffered great trials for the sake of revenge.

_"__Whenever you open your mouth, you only remember that one dumb notion about avenging your parents, kids, or siblings. You've all survived. That should be enough for you__**[2]**__."_

His callous reaction to their grief alone was proof that he was incapable of grasping the concept of a true love that would lead to self-sacrifice.

But Muzan did not care. To chase after a confrontation with death because of the love they had for their families… If love made one that weak, imprudent, rash and senseless, then they deserved to die.

At the end of it all, it was clear that Kibutsuji Muzan lacked two things: an understanding of love and the ability to walk in the sun. To compensate for the sun being taken away from him, he relentlessly hunted the Blue Spider Lily. To compensate for his inability to comprehend love, he had become a total egomaniac and to him, self-love was the only love one needed as one could only trust and depend on themselves.

Adding another person to the mix, in his opinion, was beyond foolish.

Thus, Muzan had been questioning himself rather intensely ever since Tanjirou's question the night before.

He had been worried that his preoccupation with Tanjirou was akin to what would happen to one as they begin to develop feelings for another.

_To fall for Tanjirou out of all people, would be as bad as things could get._

Becoming emotionally entwined with his most detestable enemy would be totally unreasonable.

_Hmph. Like that would ever happen._

_Yes. There is no other reason for my actions._

_It's not like Tanjirou is special. _

_His pain makes me no more excited than when I've had to hurt others._

_It's not like I feel anything profound. _

_._

_"__Muzan, you are...a being that should not be allowed to exist."_

.

There was no doubt about it. The words Tanjirou had said to him thirty-one days prior to their present were said because of his reaction to someone wanting to honour the love they felt for the special people that had been snatched from their lives.

He was aware of that now.

But those words were also said because even a young boy could see how truly cursed he was to be unable to grasp the concept of love.

Muzan was convinced that this was why Tanjirou had spoken so condescendingly to him.

Love flowed through all living beings. It was integral to life. A being that did not understand love was a 'being that should not be allowed to exist'.

Muzan turned his full attention on Tanjirou and away from his deliberations about the imprisoned boy.

As the Demon King, among his loyal subjects he had favourites, but to say that he loved any would be a bit much. And those subjects either greatly admired, feared or revered him, but none loved him. If, after becoming loyal to him Tanjirou were to fall in love, things would get incredibly messy.

Muzan smiled, knowing that that would never happen. At present, Tanjirou mirrored his feelings of hate, especially after everything he had done to him and he was sure that Tanjirou's hate was so great that after becoming mind broken, in order to cope, he would most likely just be an empty shell willing to do his bidding—which was exactly what Muzan wanted.

Thus, he was aware that in order to keep the gigantean amount of emotional distance between them, all he had to do was to continue being as cruel as he always was to him.

That way, he would achieve his goal of breaking his mind to make him into a loyal tool while keeping him from becoming something he would attach any emotional value to.

.

Muzan sneered.

_I may not understand love, but that doesn't matter. I neither need nor want it. _

_You and your lot can continue destroying yourselves for the sake of love, while I continue moving toward my goal of becoming a perfect being. _

_Unlike what you think, I am not a being that should not exist. I am a being that will __**continue**__ to exist._

_And as for you, I will play with you until I get bored._

_And then I'll be rid of you, Kamado Tanjirou. _

_I now know what your fate for tonight will be._

_Heh. You will wish for death until your mind is broken._

"Hm…"

Muzan's smile was tinged with evil.

"I see that you're doing well," he mused aloud at last, pushing aside the final dregs of his thoughts.

Casually leaning against the doorjamb in the open doorway where he had stopped to examine his guest before entering, the smile spreading across his face acquired a disturbing element, putrefied by his dark thoughts.

"How did you spend your first day as a demon?"

That question was met with silence as Tanjirou kept his eyes pinned on the opposite wall, pretending as though he had not heard him.

"Hm~" Muzan smirked. "What a pathetic human—" He paused dramatically to jeer "—oh yeah, my bad… I forgot. You're no longer a **_human_**, so I need to stop calling you that. You are now a **_being that will never see the dawn again_**."

Tanjirou's lips remained sealed, but he saw his wince as the boy lost his internal battle to remain expressionless, gritting his teeth as he turned demonic eyes on him with a murderous glare.

That glare was fiery—filled with all the hate Tanjirou felt for him, bundled up into that look.

_My words are getting to him._

Muzan observed his glare briefly, aware that one of his demons should not be able to defy him as easily as Tanjirou was.

_Somehow, he's been able to keep resisting my mental call for absolute submission, _Muzan thought, recalling the way Tanjirou had rejected his attempt to take him over on both occasions that day when he had entered his subconscious mind.

_Seems like he's been able to do the same as his sister and that pesky Tamayo._

_He's a rare case. Tanjirou truly is special. The others severed my connection by taking advantage of their distance from me, but he who is this close to me shouldn't be able to do that. Still...he's shown me that not only can he resist my blood, but he can keep the control of his body at his own command._

_My connection keeps getting severed… But that won't work._

_No, no no...Tanjirou-kun, I'm not a one-trick demon. My bond to you is too strong to be permanently cut by your efforts alone._

_I can't wait to see the kind of face you'll make when you realize this._

_In the end, you will lose this battle. You may have won the ability to keep your thoughts private, but I don't need to know your thoughts to destroy you__—especially when I can __regain full control of the body I created, at any time I desire._

_Think and plot whatever you want, but you will fail, each and every time._

_You will learn to love calling me your Master._

_Yes._

.

"..." A bit of worry crept into Tanjirou's glare. He could not help it. Something was not right. Muzan had been standing there looking at him for a long time. Through their bond, he had felt his intense rage, and his strong dislike of him, but then, just like that, all that anger had been turned off like a switch.

Muzan's face was now completely placid as he turned from leaning casually in the doorway. He was quiet and calm like the eye of a hurricane.

He no longer exuded that insane plethora of killing intent within the vile sludge of his dark emotions.

And this was what was starting to worry Tanjirou greatly. Being quite familiar with the laws of nature, this situation reminded him of how it was common for wild animals to silence their emotions and bloodlust right before making a kill—particularly if they were targeting prey that was sensitive to their presence and intentions.

Muzan was one hundred percent in control now.

And just like in a face-off between a predator and its prey, the heavy silence stretched between them, thick and stifling.

Muzan did not smirk or laugh and his expression was dead serious.

"Come boy." Those words slithered out of his mouth and as the tall, powerful demon started walking into the room, exuding an air of authority and the preeminent desire to make him submit, all the hairs on Tanjirou's body stood on end. "You've had your fun disobeying me, pet. Now it's time to commence the second stage of our dance together…"

_xxx_

* * *

_The shadow of a laughing soul_

_The sorrow of a heart wishing_

_Only for love_

_Only for light_

_Only for life…_

**_GURENGE BY LISA (AMALEE VER.)_**

* * *

**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' (mostly Muzan's) actions from that chapter:**

**Looks like Muzan cannot be present in this author's note (audience celebrates). He's too busy gnashing his teeth whilst looking at Tanjirou, thus, as he isn't here to protect his reputation, the author plans to say a lot of troublesome things in reference to his conduct in this chapter.**

**-1** Author: I'm having the time of my life rn without Muzan here in the notes to supervise me. To start things off, his attitude here reminds me of that old meme (I will post the image on Twitter since it can't be done here)…

Muzan: *Confidently wearing T-Shirt with the words 'no fear'*

Random Demon™: *Walks up to him with a T-Shirt bearing the words 'falling in love with Tanjiro'*

Muzan: Reads Random Demon™'s T-Shirt

Muzan: *Words on his T-Shirt change from 'no fear' to 'one fear'*

**-2** 'And ever since then, being restricted to the night reminded him of the restrictions of being ill and he longed to overcome that.'

Author: remember how Muzan lost it in that famous alley scene where that guy called him pale? I theorize (I can't remember if this was also explicitly stated in the manga so forgive me if it was) that one of the reasons for him going berserk in the alley was that as he was terminally ill, he has a complex about being called 'pale' because of his past illness where he was probably very pale. Maybe his family members / random people etc., always made comments similar to that random drunk dude's about the color of his skin and how he looked as though he would die soon. I feel as though he wants to conquer the night so badly because he was restricted to that dark room (when he was ill) and robbed of the joy of walking normally in the sunlight and his current restriction to the night reminds him of this.

Muzan being a demon trapped in the darkness is basically a parallel to his illness and him fighting the Demon Slayers hard to live long enough to find out how to conquer the sunlight is a parallel to him fighting his illness to live long enough to make a full recovery when he was sick . Maybe I'm just over-thinking things as always and he's just a jerk who wants to walk in the sun because it's the only deficiency standing between him and perfection, but oh well… I love to think that it's a combination of all of the above (him being a jerk as well as his actions being related to his past illness and genuinely wanting to see the light)…

b. Also, you'll notice that the lyrics' excerpts that I post are always related to the chapter they appear in.

For example,

_'The shadow of a laughing soul' :- _In this chapter it refers to the people who gossiped and laughed at Muzan in his past but since that was his past, they're long gone and are nothing but shadows now. It can also mean that since those ppl never mattered to him they were 'shadows'. Lastly, I sometimes use this excerpt to mean that Tanjirou's pure, laughing soul is now naught but a shadow.

_'The sorrow of a heart wishing'_

_'Only for love'_

_'Only for light'_

_'Only for life…' :- _the manga said that Muzan "suffered so much just to live a little longer" so these four lines I use to mean that his heart (yes... '**_heart'_** lol he had one heart back then, okay?) was wishing to see the 'light' aka dawn, and to live / conquer his disease. Also, Tanjirou's heart is in deep sorrow and wishes for 'light' - to be normal again, for 'love' - to see his friends and sister, for 'life' - to live his old life once more with all his family

_'Good and evil become intertwined …' :-_ Muzan and Tanjirou becoming entangled in each other's lives

_'It looks transparent, like a hypocritical divine punishment' _:- 'divine punishment' I use to mean Muzan's fate but the Muzan in this story sees his punishment as 'hypocritical' as there are people who deserved to suffer more than he who had hardly done anything(before he became a villain) but those people never received their 'divine punishment'

_'The world can'_

_'Beat me down a hundred times'_

_'But into the light I'll always rise.' :- _In this story, these three lines basically refer to both Muzan and Tanjirou's drive to keep moving forward in spite of everything. Could also mean Muzan's determination to ruin Tanjirou's 'light'. Tanjirou has become his 'world', since he's focusing so much on him right now and in spite of the long fight that Tanjirou put up against him, beating him down 'a hundred times', Muzan would keep rising up to make more attempts at destroying him.

**-3**_ "__It's not like Tanjirou is special." _

_"__It's not like I feel anything profound." _

Author: Denial at its best

**-4** 'Adding another person to the mix, in his opinion, was beyond foolish.'

Author: He better hope that he does not fall in love / like / whatever cuz the minute he does, I'm going to get him some ketchup and mustard for that denial sandwich and make him eat his words (altho he'd kill me before I do that but it'll be a worthy death)…

**-5** 'Thus, he was aware that in order to keep the gigantean amount of emotional distance between them, all he had to do was to continue being as cruel as he always was to him.'

Author: Muzan is like those school boys that would endlessly tease their crush and do mean things to them. Sigh.

Tanjirou should be like "Well, mark me down as scared and horny. You thought you were mind-breaking me, but joke's on you cuz I'm a masochist...and I'm into that."

That won't happen, but it's so funny imagining Muzan's expression if Tanjirou were to say this.

**-6** 'Muzan knew that he had to figure out a way to subvert the risk posed by this boy, otherwise he might just end up killing Tanjirou in a fit of rage.'

Author: Imagine killing someone because you fell in love with them -.- Wait no...don't imagine that. For Tanjirou's own good, let's hope that Muzan either changes his mind about this concept or never falls in love with him

**-7** 'What kind of power was Tanjirou unconsciously wielding over him to mess with his thought process this much?'

Author: Since Muzan is not here (Thank God), I'll give you guys the answer to this (let him figure it out himself – hopefully before he kills Tanjirou). The main answer, if you read between the lines of everything that has been happening so far, is that in spite of all his tortures, Tanjirou has been taking it all without giving up or wavering and as a sadist, Muzan cannot help but be intrigued by this (although he still hates him lol).

**-8** 'Had lovers of whichever gender he permitted to entertain him, and even had harems.'

Author: WELL. Sorry but after I saw Muzan in that outfit / pose in chapter 187(It's the outfit he wears when they show him in the first panel but I'll post it on Twitter), I couldn't help but think that he looked like a Casanova, you know, what they call a dapper dude / philanderer / playboy, that would have his own harem lol just look at those fine threads he's wearing, the lady-killer smile, the fierce look in his eyes, eloquent pose, and well-combed hair ahahahaha (thank goodness Muzan isn't here, I would have died 10x over for this comment…).

**-9 **'oh yeah, my bad… I forgot. You're no longer a **_human_**, so I need to stop calling you that. You are now a **_being that will never see the dawn again_**."'

Author: I can actually see Muzan in KNY being this freaking petty to throw Tanjirou's words right back in his face x'D He's like those people you say something to who act as though your words don't bother them but then looong after they return with a petty comeback when you've forgotten what you even said.

*On the night of Tanjirou's capture*

Tanjirou: "You're a being that shouldn't exist!"

Muzan: ...

Tanjirou: ...

*four weeks later*

*on the 31st night following Tanjirou's capture*

Muzan: "Oh, well if I'm a being that shouldn't exist, well you're a being that will never see the dawn again!"

Tanjirou: ...

Tanjirou: "What...?"

Muzan: *Thinking* Lol look at him, so shocked that he can't say a thing.

Muzan: *Feeling proud of himself for his magnificently coined insult*

**-10 **'_I now know what your fate for tonight will be._

_Heh. You will wish for death until your mind is broken.'_

Author: *composure crumbles as their inner fujoshi takes over* Wooohoo *makes spanking noises* Doooooooooooo it! Make him beg for mercy! Turn him into a uke! (Disclaimer: Muzan is talking about punishment-like more torture, but being the hopeless and unrepentant fujoshi that the author is, they're reading too much into Muzan-sama's words as usual)

**-11** I believe that Muzan was able to not only develop multiple organs but to keep these organs non-static because he's a literal genius. Just think about it, creating something as complex as not one but 5 brains and moving them around at will. Some of us can't even remember to drink water -.- It's like Gyōmei said in chapter 191: "organs are complicated objects and he has more than one of them". In my opinion, only someone with super intellect and an intimate knowledge of the human body, biophysics etc could do this. Muzan is a #boss

**-12** So that's it for my behind the scenes chapter review. Bet you're going to be curious about the next chapter's title ;) Maybe you've already figured out why I've named it that…but you'll see!

**Next Chapter Title: **I Hate You the Most

**Next Chapter Teaser: **

After coming to a conclusion about his unreasonable feelings toward Tanjirou, Muzan prepares to commence the next stage of his planned ruination for him. And while reminiscing about how wonderful it is to be sadistic to him, he acts as though all has been forgiven and like he means to do Tanjirou no harm, but Tanjirou, with his intense hate for Muzan which prevents him from ever dropping his guard, watches him closely; becoming highly suspicious of his oddly 'nice' behaviour.

* * *

**Chapter**** Bonus: **Please see Brownsugarprod1 on Twitter for the little photo extras in #1 and #8 of the end notes that I could not post in here! You will see it as a Privatter link

* * *

**References:**

[1] Chapter One.

[2] Manga Chapter 181

* * *

**SPECIAL NOTE: **Lovely readers and reviewers, thanks as always for everything!

Ren: You're so kind! I love that you stated what you liked and how it affected you. This helps me a lot! And I will surely take note of your advice. I've already stopped re-announcing updates. I usually do that when I'm done, but somehow, it's as if doing so make me write more and the chapter ends up being held back! lol All I do now is give ideas on when I may post, then a confirmation. Thanks so much for your support and feedback *thumbs up*

Foxie 3366: Yessss Thanks for all your interest! I'm beginning to realize that I like to write dark romances! After all, my writing style is that I love to put my characters into tough situations and show how it affects them mentally / emotionally as they try to get out. And things are about to get super dark but I hope that you continue to enjoy!

TanakiNova: Thank you for your sweet comments! I will take care of my hand for sure! I've been resting it a little and making sure to use my wrist brace when drawing or writing for long periods and it's getting better!

Poor demon daddy! Tanjirou got him feeling some kinda way and he doesn't like that! I love his conflict! And in the next chapter I will be focusing on poor Tanji-kun again. These two are stressing each other out so much. They should just get married, ya know?

*Chuckles* hmmmmm maybe Muzan _**wants**_ Tanjirou to freak out from his Combat Form hehe. A frightened Cinnamon roll is a cute one ;p Hmmmm and I wonder if Tanjirou would get force-fed one day? :)

Akaza, Rui, Enmu and Douma...goood quality stuff. Douma was such a jerk but I loved his character design. His eyes were so pretty and my favorite thing was how the other moons hated him. And I laughed when the Data Book showed that Muzan doesnt really like him either, which is interesting, considering that we saw how powerful he is. It's obvious that Akaza hates him partly because of how he treats women but I wonder what Muzan's reason is? Maybe Douma is more egotistical than him? x'D

I love the way you think! Totally won't spoil you on Tanji-kun's connections to Nova xDD


	8. I Hate You the Most

Notes:

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day to all my MuzanTan comrades. Here's a gift from me to you – an update! With this chapter, I was planning to have it named 'Cat' and also reveal Tanjirou's appearance but ended up having to save that for the next chapter when I did the final edit and this got looooong. Sorry for the inconvenience! The good news though is that the next update will be coming very soon!

On another note, I'm still bitter about Tamayo and Shinobu's sneaky stinky over 9000 plan on Muzan in Chapter 193. But a really funny thing was how Muzan made a lot of angry and stressed out faces in that chapter and how he referred to Shinobu as the 'poisonous snake bitch' hahahaha lol. Cuz remember poor Douma ate that snake and expired x'D

And yeah, I was so upset about the sneaky plot Tamayo and Shinobu pulled on Muzan that I ruined Tanjirou a bit for the needle play segment of this chapter and again in the draft for a later chapter. You'll understand when we get to those R18 chapters. You might be like, 'damn, what did Tanjirou do to you?' Nah, it's what the series is doing to my OTP and my heart in making them face off against each other while giving me tons of cliff hangers in a fight to the death where one of my OTP must kill the other. I'm in pain, man (I still love KNY though!)

**WARNING: A **somewhat vivid description of needles, needle play and mention of blood

* * *

**Chapter Summary**:

After coming to a conclusion about his unreasonable feelings toward Tanjirou, Muzan prepares to commence the next stage of his planned ruination for him. And while reminiscing about how wonderful it is to be sadistic to him, he acts as though all has been forgiven and like he means to do Tanjirou no harm, but Tanjirou, with his intense hate for Muzan which prevents him from ever dropping his guard, watches him closely; becoming highly suspicious of his oddly 'nice' behaviour.

* * *

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

_"Memory of a conversation."_

o0o0o0o0o0o: A flashback or a dream

"Heh.": A laugh

**_'_****_Telepathic speaking'_**

* * *

_On a path full of thorns chaotically spread throughout  
It'll only show up in front of someone as serious as me  
I'll overcome it_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

_Chapter 8: I hate you the most _

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** At Muzan's mansion…

.•._  
_

_._

**U**SING THEIR MIND CONNECTION, Muzan spoke.

**_'_****_Tanjirou-kun~'_**

At first, the boy appeared to be surprised that he was hearing his voice inside his head, but then, as he understood what was happening, he ignored him.

**_'_****_How bold you are to ignore your Master.'_**

Still, Tanjirou persisted in ignoring him.

**_'_****_You're lucky that your wild spirit amuses me~'_**

Muzan's tone darkened.

**_'_****_But don't get ahead of yourself. You're nothing but an ant before a lion. I can destroy you at any moment. Remember that.'_**

His hand went to the switch for the small hanging lamp in the middle of the room. He did not need the light to see, but turned it on to make a statement.

"…!" Tanjirou flinched, closing his eyes and turning away.

He appeared to be in quite a lot of pain, but was hiding it well.

_Stubborn little brat, _Muzan thought, knowing that Tanjirou's reaction was because he had not been expecting the light, albeit dim, to flood the room and with his demon eyes having been fully adjusted to the darkness, he was shocked by the speed at which they were readjusting to this new light source.

Muzan chuckled, hiding his cruel smile that was proof of his enjoyment of Tanjirou's discomfort and as he reached the bed where Tanjirou lay, he turned to check the receptacles of water he had left atop the vanity of the little sink near the bedside.

The large master bedroom where he kept Tanjirou was one of two in that mansion, but this one had the bigger adjoining bathroom. That master bath had a large ofuro tub[1] included and plumbing fixtures fitted to a water supply from several tanks located higher up on the hills outside his mansion, but Muzan preferred to fill and use two burnished metal medium-sized dishes of water for Tanjirou's baths.

Part of the reason for this was that, as his captive was chained to the bed, he could not move him to be cleaned in the bath.

The other part of the reason was simply that doing things this way was more fun.

"…" A smile stretched his lips as Muzan recalled the first time he rubbed down Tanjirou's naked body with those wet rags. The boy was blindfolded, with both wrists in metal cuffs and chained to the bedposts, but as he felt the wet rag on his skin, alluding to the fact that Muzan was about to proceed with cleaning him, the look on his face was as though he was having a heart attack.

And as soon as he had recovered from his stunned stupor, Tanjirou had yelled at and fought him, while squirming a lot and kicking. Then, when he had to part his legs to clean between there—the fight had gotten a **_lot _**more violent.

Tanjirou always fought him so much that on some days, Muzan found himself having to strap his legs apart in order to keep him from kicking too much.

Obviously, Tanjirou hated having his most intimate places touched by a stranger, especially one who was his worst enemy, but of course, that did not mean that Muzan would stop.

And of course, for the past thirty-one nights of his capture, with Muzan coming by every few days to clean and feed him, Tanjirou did not grow accustomed to being cleaned and never eased up on his fighting.

Muzan grinned at those wonderful memories.

As much as he hated Tanjirou, he had to admit that the boy had some delightfully interesting reactions to his tortures.

Whether he was cutting into him with a small sharp blade, stabbing him with tiny needles, burning him with hot wax or spreading his legs wide to leave him naked and tied to the bed—while he read a book by the window—, Tanjirou never disappointed.

His reactions were so good that before each torture session, it had become routine for Muzan to take the time to sit and explain to Tanjirou in great detail what he was about to do.

He loved doing this mainly for the psychological effect of Tanjirou being aware of his looming fate—to have a great fear seeded in his heart long before the start of his torture, which of course would increase the psychological impact of what he was planning.

And what Muzan loved the most, were Tanjirou's instantaneous expressive reactions of surprise at the announcement of each torture.

Seeing Tanjirou genuinely taken aback by what he was about to do each time, made him feel as though he was doing a good job in coming up with creative ways to hurt him.

o0o0o0o0o0o

**N.B.:** Four days earlier (before Tanjirou's conversion); Location: Muzan's Manor; Time: Around 8:00pm…

[[Huff]]

[[Huff]]

[[Huff]]

Tanjirou was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with his exaggerated attempts to take in more air.

He was exhausted.

His face stung from being slapped about and his body hurt from being manhandled.

It had been another eventful 'bath' from Muzan where the Demon King had wrestled him into submission in order to clean him and he was weakened from biting, fighting, and yelling at him.

Regardless, his glare remained strong and fixed on the demon who looked at him with a smile as though enlivened by, instead of discouraged by his previous struggling.

Clearly, Muzan still had an inexhaustible well of energy to spare and Tanjirou found himself getting enraged again from just looking at his smug face and noticing that not a strand of hair was out of place in his neat mop of black, wavy hair despite their heated struggle.

_Bastard, _he thought, suddenly feeling extremely sleepy.

Fighting Muzan for every bath time while in a weakened state from his dehydration and malnutrition was no easy thing to do and Tanjirou was sure that if it were not for his Recovery Breaths, he would not have lived this long and with enough strength to put up a fight against Muzan.

"Hm~" As the Demon King hummed, coming to sit next to him on the bed with smirk, caution filled Tanjirou's entire being as his heart started a rhythm of anxiety against his ribcage.

He could smell the excitement radiating off him and he knew what that meant—tonight was going to be one of those nights—Muzan was in the mood to torture him.

And like every instance where his body was about to be taken to the heights of pain by his sadistic keeper, their torture session commenced with Muzan giving him the option to defer that incoming pain with the correct answer to one question,

"What say you to my proposition, little boy? ~"

"No!"

"Not ready to submit yet, my pet? ~"

"Never!"

"Heh~ Wrong answer~" Muzan chuckled. "Still insistent on refusing to become my loyal servant, mm?"

"…" Tanjirou watched him place the medium-sized black case he was holding on the bed between them.

_What…is that…?_

He swallowed the fear that was welling up inside him. His highly developed sense of smell could pick up the scent of metal; probably steel from within the case and from that, Tanjirou knew that the master demon was going to make him bleed.

Muzan seemed to like seeing his blood and would often use his little knives to make cuts in his skin, but this time felt different somehow.

From the smell, Tanjirou decided that the case did not contain knives. The composition was not the same, there were numerous things of varying weights too light to be daggers or little craft knives.

His gaze went from the ominous-looking black case to the chocolate brown latex gloves on Muzan's hands.

"…?" The long, heavy silence that stretched on between them and his inability to decipher the type of weapon Muzan was planning to use on his body added to Tanjirou's stress, but the Demon Slayer was too proud to ask Muzan about the contents of the case or why he was wearing gloves.

"I can see the questions in your eyes, Tanjirou-kun~" Muzan singsonged. "Don't think about it too much, little boy. This is just my needle kit."

A snide laugh left his lips. "Ah… I was so excited thinking of how you're finally going to get introduced to a hobby of mine~" He popped open the case via its latch mechanism to reveal a plethora of sharp sterile needles of various sizes individually packaged, arranged in neat rows and cushioned on a backdrop of soft red velvet. "I may call this my needle kit, but don't mistake this for something as innocent as a sewing kit~"

"That would be a **_grave_** mistake…as it's not cloth that I'm planning to stick these into~" His fingertips elegantly tiptoed over the menacing arrangement that glinted in the faint light from the waning crescent outside the window, and he hummed as though trying to make a choice from the wide selection. "I really like piercing living things you know and the bigger the implement I use the better…~"

He looked to Tanjirou and winked, and although his double entendre was lost on him, he went on undeterred.

"There are needles in here for just about anything I want to do to you that requires them." Muzan licked his lips. "From piercing rings into your body, to doing a bit of needle play~"

There was a dramatic pause and for Tanjirou, the air became much more suffocating.

"How do you feel about a piercing—maybe a large black ring—right…" Muzan placed his gloved fingertip over Tanjirou's nipple and smirked as the boy gasped "…here in your teeny tiny nipple? ~"

"No…!" Tanjirou shook his head wildly and pulled at his bonds as Muzan quietly watched him.

[[Clang]]

"Don't put anything in me…!"

[[Clang]]

"You—"

"Saying 'don't put anything in me', while pulling at those chains…" Muzan cut in, "Are you trying to turn me on?"

When Tanjirou stopped struggling to look at him in mild confusion, he mumbled, "You're so clueless about stuff like that, aren't you? Oh Tanji-kun~ Seeing you fight even though you're fully aware that you can't escape, never ever gets old~ It's so exciting~"

"Ah, I know~" Muzan smiled as he lifted his finger off Tanjirou's nipple to glide it over one of his old battle scars. "Instead of a piercing today, how about some pretty new scars, consisting of a **_lot _**of little holes from some **_big_** needles? You'll **_definitely _**bleed~"

"You already have some beautiful scars, Tanjirou-kun. A few more won't—" he paused "—oh I lie. A few more would certainly hurt, but that would be just perfect, wouldn't it? ~"

As their eyes met, the tension in the room rose tenfold.

"Right here…" Muzan tapped his belly then ran his finger down to Tanjirou's navel while the boy glowered at him "…all over your cute tummy. I'll decorate you like the star you are~ You know… give you some needle stars, and maybe some celebratory ribbon since you're always trying hard to be at the forefront of everything~"

"Isn't that right, Tanji-kun? ~ **_You_** want to be the one to take my head. **_You_** don't want me to escape. **_You_** want to take the lead in fighting me. **_You_** want to follow me to the depths of hell…~" Muzan stopped touching him to reach for the bottle of alcohol solution and wipes that were atop the small table he had placed parallel to the bed. Everything had already been laid out for their session.

"'Me', 'me', 'me'—everything's about Tanjirou, right? What are you, the main character in your own show?" He scoffed. "What a self-centred little boy. Well, now that we're here together in **_your_** personal hell, you can be **_my_** little **_star_** pet~"

A look of astonishment and mild anger descended onto Tanjirou's face. Just how many needles was Muzan planning to put into his body?! "Don't you dare—"

"Why are you speaking? Are you going to say yes to becoming my loyal demon servant? ~" Muzan interrupted calmly, but then his voice darkened and he grasped Tanjirou's chin roughly. "Because that's the only thing I want to hear from you."

When Tanjirou said nothing, but only looked at him with a harsh glare, Muzan shrugged as he released him to focus on cleaning the designated area on his tummy with the sterilizing solution. "Then we shall proceed. I'll pierce your skin with these big, beautiful needles. But one note of caution to you, Tanjirou-kun…" He pointed to the open case and when Tanjirou looked to it in a state of mounting concern he went on, "You might accidentally become my loyal demon servant if you don't stay still. I have steady hands, but if you fight me, I might end up sticking myself and my blood might get into one of those little needle holes~"

As he said this, Tanjirou seemed to go pale and Muzan winked at him. "Do your best to be a good boy and tolerate all this fun, okay? ~"

o0o0o0o0o0o

**N.B.:** Present…

Muzan sighed happily in his reminiscence of that session.

Tanjirou had been cold sweating and seemingly on the verge of passing out throughout the procedure—his mental stress was that great. The visceral fear of moving and getting accidentally converted to a demon had him as still as a log while the sharpened end of each needle was pushed against, into and through his skin.

Yet he barely flinched.

And he had done remarkably well in staying still throughout and tolerating the pain, in spite of being pierced for the first time with large sixteen gauge needles, instead of the much smaller sized twenty-four gauge that Muzan should have started with.

The twenty-four gauge needles would have been a lot less painful and far less bloody but of course, Muzan went for what he knew would hurt Tanjirou more.

When he was done creating his work of art, there was a total of forty-three needles in Tanjirou's torso. Ten needles were aligned horizontally across the vertical line from the base of Tanjirou's abdomen to his navel, there were five five-point stars on his tummy consisting of five needles each—complete with slim red ribbons laced around them to make the star pattern—and four needles were in a star formation through each nipple.

The ones in his nipple were the twenty-four gauge needles though, as Muzan wanted to fit four in each and the sixteen gauge would have been too big for that purpose.

Tanjirou had been silent but was trembling from the way the sharp, stinging pain from so many points had made his entire body more sensitive to what was taking place. With forty-three needles in him, that amounted to eighty-six different points of pain that filled his senses with a heated awareness.

His Full Focus Breathing had helped him to cope with the entire experience, but flicking his gaze downwards out of curiosity had been a huge mistake.

The sight of his slightly bloodied torso riddled with sharp silver needles added to the scent of his own blood mixing with that of the metal and along with the pain and Muzan's quiet laughter, it was all driving him crazy.

Scent, sight, touch, hearing... Tanjirou was trapped in a deep chasm of confusion and pain with Muzan authoritatively guiding him through it.

And just when he was starting to think that Muzan might leave him that way forever, gentle, gloved hands came up to glide over the multitude of needles as though mesmerized by them. Tanjirou had bit into his bottom lip to keep his body from arching in pain but before he knew what was happening, one by one, the cruel demon was removing them. There was a bloom of pain as each slid out and by the time Muzan was cleaning the area with the alcohol-soaked gauze and bandaging him up, Tanjirou was close to breaking down in tears.

He was humiliated from having to endure the entire process while nude, high on the pain, slightly bloody and clearly overwhelmed, but held in his tears and even had the composure to maintain his hateful glare throughout the act of being tortured in this way.

Yes, these were the times that Muzan loved the most; where Tanjirou would tolerate the pain and humiliation that were delivered callously to him without as much as a sound.

It was as though he was a seasoned professional who had been tortured on many occasions before and this made Muzan wonder sometimes about the kind of training that would result in this type of mental hardiness. Were all Slayers like this, or was it just his obstinate captive?

But Muzan had to admit that contending for his top two favorite reactions from Tanjirou was firstly, the light blush of embarrassment that would colour the boy's cheeks whenever he had to be nude before him and secondly, the odd, drawn out cry of pain that would accidentally slip from his tightly sealed lips on occasion.

That whining, beautiful sound, like the dance of a bow across the strings of a viola, was like music to his ears.

Ah yes, Tanjirou was the embodiment of a sadist's wet dream.

"…" Realizing that he was getting carried away, Muzan left his reverie behind and focused on the metal containers atop the sink before him.

One held soapy water with a little wooden cup for dipping. The other was half-filled with clear rinsing water.

There was a small stack of clean washcloths and towels on the shelf under the sink and a small rack for hanging wet washcloths over the sink.

Every night after giving Tanjirou's body a thorough bed bath, he would throw out the used water, wash the towels and ensure that everything was in place for the next clean up.

That was just the kind of person he was—one who liked to have everything organized.

"Ah~" Stretching his arms to the heavens as though he was about to enter a long battle, Muzan took a deep breath then paused to unbutton his cuffs and roll up both sleeves. It was that time of the day, the time when he had to embark on his routine of cleaning his rowdy captive up.

"…" Tanjirou looked at Muzan stretching and trembled at the knowledge that the demon was preparing to wrestle him to the bed to clean him.

He hated baths from him.

The man's hands were too soft. His attention was too meticulous, focused and gentle.

Muzan was a murderer, yet he had the gentlest hands that Tanjirou had ever felt and he hated feeling them, knowing that these were the hands that had killed more people than he could imagine.

And his most hated aspect of having his body cleaned by Muzan was that the Demon King had a zero tolerance policy for his struggling.

Tanjirou had metal cuffs around his ankles with O-ring attachments for the times when he acted up, and struggling against Muzan usually made the demon use these to strap him spread-eagled to the bed by attaching the rings to the thick chains that were bonded to the sides of the bedframe.

Being nude with his legs wide apart and strapped down was something Tanjirou really hated. It was a whole new level of vulnerability and during the process of strapping him down, Muzan would give him a few hard disciplinary slaps to the face, as punishment for making him use that extra step.

But this encroaching fate was not all of what was making Tanjirou look at Muzan with eyes filled with caution.

From the moment Muzan had come into view in the doorway and he'd noticed that his form had changed again, Tanjirou's anxiety had started growing.

This was the white-haired version of Muzan whom he had last encountered in the Dimensional Fortress.

This was the form Muzan had kidnapped him as; the one that had stunk of insane levels of danger and the blood of over a hundred of his fellow Slayers—all of whom the Demon King had slaughtered in the cruellest ways imaginable.

Tanjirou's teeth clenched together.

The more he looked at him, the more his stomach burned and his face reddened.

This was the Muzan he hated the most.

But as though blind to his hate and disgust, Muzan casually smoothed his hair back into a loose ponytail, then turned to glance at him.

When their gazes connected, Tanjirou hissed at him like a wildcat, but Muzan merely wore a blank expression, alluding to none of his thoughts as he casually strolled over to the bed.

Before Tanjirou could prepare himself for whatever was coming next, Muzan was on top of the bed straddling him; legs on either side of his torso and hands pressing him down to the mattress.

_He's fast…!_

"Ummph…!" Tanjirou twisted his body and struggled, but Muzan easily held him down.

"Stop fighting me," Muzan warned. "Learn some respect, pet."

[[Clang]]

Tanjirou, despite being aware that whenever Muzan got angry a physical punishment would follow soon after, ignored him and pulled at his bonds but like with his many past attempts, those chains did not break.

[[CLANG]]

This did not stop him from fighting harder and Tanjirou kicked, undulated and continued to twist his body in an attempt to shake the demon off him but Muzan was too powerful.

"Behave."

Muzan uttered that one word in a tone that caused an intense fear and pain to go through Tanjirou's body but that fear only crippled him momentarily, and the pain did nothing to deter his efforts.

That pain was only a little more severe than the punishments he was used to getting from his Master and he stubbornly forced himself to adjust and push Muzan's command aside.

"Leave me alone…!" Tanjirou yelled, staring daggers up at the demon leaning over him. A bit of blood trickled from one nostril—proof of the force he was using to fight off Muzan's command and disobey him. "Get off! Stop touching me…! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you…!"

"…" Muzan looked down at Tanjirou struggling beneath him with a bit of surprise marking his normally blank features.

For a demon to override the crippling effect of his compulsion with minor detrimental results to the mind and body, was no small feat. Not even Upper Moon demons had been capable of such. They were able to tolerate his abuse, but not override it and regain full control.

This was the first demon to do this while in his presence.

_Ah._

He smirked.

_Oh…Tanjirou~_

Now, once again and more than ever before, he was reminded of why he had to dominate Tanjirou and make him his.

_Mm…_

All of Muzan's cells were buzzing with delight as he locked gazes with Tanjirou's lethal glare. He could not wait to finish cleaning him up so that he could employ the new method of torture he had been contemplating using on him to commence the next phase of his ruination.

Would this be the torture to finally break him?

Would Tanjirou's enraged eyes finally be tamed?

Would that slew of hateful words tumbling from his lips be reduced to pleas and screams?

_Oh…Tanjirou...~_

Muzan's heart (one of them) leapt in sadistic delight.

"Come on, little boy," Muzan drawled in his polished, polite accent as his apathetic expression acquired a host of vile determination. "Stop being so difficult. Let me clean you. We mustn't waste time; there is much to do tonight~"

xxx

* * *

**_Even with all I've lost, even with all I've lost  
I have no choice but to keep living  
Even if I am beaten down _**

**_There are things to protect_**

**—_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

* * *

My TWITTER: Brownsugarprod1

* * *

****END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' (mostly Muzan's) actions from that chapter:****

**Looks like Muzan cannot be present in this author's note (audience celebrates). He's too busy trying to give Tanjirou a bath, but lucky for him, I only have a few things to say:**

****-1 ****'His hand went to the switch for the small hanging lamp in the middle of the room. He did not need the light to see, but turned it on to make a statement.'

Author: Muzan is so petty…

**-2 '**Ah yes, Tanjirou was the embodiment of a sadist's wet dream.'

Author: We don't need to know what you've been fantasizing about before bed every day, Muzan…

Author: Also, please note that although Tanjirou fights, bites and kicks Muzan during his bath time struggling, back when he was human, Tanjirou did not bite him hard enough to draw blood and be converted into a 'loyal demon servant'. He bit whatever came near his face, which was most often Muzan's hands / fingers as he was cleaning him and with not much force to break the skin. As a human it would have taken a considerable amount of pressure to bite and draw blood but Tanjirou was careful not to fall into that trap.

**-3 **Author: How ironic that Tanjirou is showing all this hate in a chapter posted for Valentine's Day, lol. Seems like he needs to be disciplined :)

**-4 **"I really like piercing living things you know and the bigger the implement I use the better…~"

Author: Ah yes, Muzan…we're fully aware of this…

Author: What are you, a serial piercer?

Author: Oh…right, yes you are…

**-5 **"'Me', 'me', 'me'—everything's about Tanjirou, right? What are you, the main character in your own show?"'

Author: Well boy do I have news for you, Muzan…

Author: Lol Muzan's breaking the fourth wall like a pro.

**-6**'A snide laugh left his lips. "Ah… I was so excited thinking of how you're finally going to get introduced to a hobby of mine~"'

Author: Muzan ...we need to have a little chat.

Author: This is **not **how you introduce your crush to your hobbies...#FAIL

-7 Author: I'm gonna go hurry off to work now (gotta eat ya know), then when I get back I gotta finish paint the sketches I'm doing of Tanjirou's demon forms, edit the next chapter, then I'll read the new chapter of KNY. Considering that I have a headache rn and depending on how frustrated the new manga chapter makes me (if one of my OTP dies or it ends on another cliffhanger) more severe things may occur in Tanjirou's future of this story…

**Next Chapter Title: **Cat

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Muzan has a nefarious plot in mind, but as he prepares Tanjirou for such while continuing to attempt to not make his intention obvious, he makes a discovery that intrigues him.

* * *

**References:**

[1] A Japanese style wooden tub with high sides used for soaking after washing up first.


	9. Cat

Notes:

Some odd things have been happening lately. First, if I had not fallen asleep and missed my intended post date TWICE, this chapter to reveal Tanjirou's appearance would have been posted on 2.22, which happens to be the Japanese Neko day, _**Neko no Hi** _(the day of cats)? It is so weird that I was subconsciously intending to post a 'cat' chapter on 'cat day' without knowing what the 22nd was haha (but then I ended up posting at 2 am on 24th because my sleep cycle is messed up...) :o

Then **secondly**, I spoke about this on Twitter, but I got a random sex toy survey from a certain popular (I won't say who) company to fill out a month ago.

They asked me a bunch of questions and I gave the usual anime otaku responses "I don't watch tv", "not really looking forward to new mainstream movies".

But it turns out that they were looking for suggestions and new ideas for their first 2020 release and as I had been continuously writing a lot of smut for this story (over 10k words worth at that time), all I could think about was our uke getting Muzan's dick so I suggested that the company's new toy this year should be a Demon Dick. Lolol right?

Fast forward to Friday night (21st), I get home from a tiring day at work and as I'm checking my mailbox, I see a new email titled "Infernal delights await you!", which turned out to be an announcement from the same company. As I read it I see "WE ARE RELEASING THE DEMON DICK". They actually went with that idea? No way! A Demon Dick sex toy... asdfghjkl. I died.

I was in stunned silence for quite a while then I legit fell down laughing at the impossibility of this situation. I can't and I refuse to believe that this is partly due to my fogged up brain filling out a random survey late at night? Surely this is just a coincidence, right?

So, if they had **_really _**taken inspiration from my survey responses…that toy is basically Muzan's dick. I cannot wrap my head around the epicness of that. Muzan has a sex toy that ranges in length choice from size 5.5" to 15" with a 4.15" girth (In this story, it's definitely 15" *whispers: or more* tho...poor Tanji-kun...).

Ah...yeah...so...Y-you're welcome.

*Sweating*

What have I done…what have I (possibly) contributed to unleashing upon the world…?

This is why fujoshis shouldn't be allowed to fill out surveys...

**IMPORTANT NOTE ON WHEN TO EXPECT SMUT: **Alright! So…..I know a lot of you are anticipating the moment that Muzan ruins Tanjirou's ***! To be honest, I am too lol but this part of the story prior to the sex is very very important. It is like putting the ingredients together in the right way before baking a cake. In other words, this is the part where I'm carefully laying the foundation for future character actions and building the plot so that everything makes sense later on. This is like the foreplay before the naked foreplay. It is where Muzan is employing other tactics of either trying to break down Tanjirou or observe him so that he would know how to act later ;) And you'll see evidence of this when, during the R18 parts, he does things that he had started doing during these tame scenes.

I know it can be irritating to wait, but that's just the kind of writer I am: I love to build up my stories to have some meat / substance on them. The porn MUST have plot. There MUST be a mental process behind everything because I love to observe my characters' thoughts and their journey towards either a mental breakdown or rising from their pits of misery. I lust for the angst and the heartache as much as I do for the smut. To me it makes the smut sweeter.

I felt as though it had become necessary to say this because I kept giving myself anxiety worrying that readers are sorely disappointed with each chapter I post that doesn't have the kind of smutty material they're anticipating. And when I worry that people are disappointed, I start questioning why I put so much time and effort into writing and then I start losing interest. And I don't want that happen so this note is serving to help me by removing my stress that you all don't know what to expect from this story.

I'm sorry if the tags have led you to believe otherwise (that this is pure smut), but the genre for this is a slow-build dark romance that is equally plot heavy and R18 smut heavy. At times it will have a lot of plot, but believe me, when the smutty scenes arrive, it might be a little too gross for you. But fear not, I will put applicable warnings before each chapter.

**TL;DR: **So I'm not going to force you guys to stick around while I weave a tale of misery for Tanjirou prior to his deflowering (lol). If you're here only for the smut, you can always check back on this story in about two or three chapters for the start of the R18 material. I can't promise anything but I'm planning faster updates: 1x week but if I can't manage (as I'm usually busy writing for later chapters), it'll be 2x a month.

Anyways….thank you for giving this story your time and favs. I appreciate your support a whole lot! Whenever I'm writing and get a notification for a new fave or follow, it always feels like you all are cheering me on while I work.

* * *

**CHAPTER WARNING: M**uzan gets a little pervy~~

**Chapter Bonus?: Yes...Painting completed. Tanjirou's appearance is revealed (for the body parts mentioned in this chapter e.g. face+ hands). See notes at the bottom.**

* * *

**Chapter Summary:**

Muzan has a nefarious plot in mind, but as he prepares Tanjirou for such while continuing to attempt to not make his intention too obvious, he makes a discovery that intrigues him.

* * *

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

"Heh.": A laugh

**_'_****_Telepathic speaking'_**

* * *

_As my body's shaking_

_The future is out there waiting_

_For me to grasp the light_

_That's trembling just like my hand_

_I gotta keep it safe from fading_

_That's all I want…_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP AmaLee Ver.)_**

* * *

Chapter 9: Cat

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** At Muzan's mansion…

.•._  
_

_._

**A**S TANJIROU HISSED AT HIM again, like a cat ready to strike, Muzan reacted by placing his fingers at the corners of his mouth to force him to open up.

"Ungh…argh…!"

Muzan pressed in as Tanjirou snarled.

"Behave yourself, little boy," he commanded, but that only made the recipient of his command fight harder. "Open."

"Ack…Ungh…!" Tanjirou was struggling hard now, fighting against him, trying to bite the fingers working their way into his mouth, but even with his enhanced canines, it was difficult to cause any lasting injury to the demon.

Muzan's fingers healed the instant his teeth started cutting into them and as soon as Tanjirou opened his mouth wider to bite down harder, a wet warm rag was forced in to scrub over his teeth and tongue.

"Un…ah…pleh…!" Tanjirou thrashed about as Muzan held his chin still and his mouth open to continue the process of cleaning his mouth.

"Filthy boy," Muzan grumbled, scrubbing over his front incisors, canines then molars pretty hard in order to get them clean. "Why do you always make it so difficult for me to clean you? ~"

"Ack...!" By the time those fingers were withdrawn from his mouth, Tanjirou was panting hard.

[[Huff]]

[[Huff]]

He looked up to Muzan with a pronounced glare whilst huffing and snarling, but this was obviously lost on the Demon King whose gaze was focused on his mouth.

"Perfect. Your new demon teeth look much better now~" Muzan leaned back to admire and smile at his handiwork as Tanjirou growled and gnashed those dangerous-looking teeth at him. "Now we're done with this," he mumbled. "Hmph. Not because you're a demon you have to look like a beast."

"…" Tanjirou glowered at the older male as he got off his body and moved away from him to go over to the sink.

As Muzan washed out the cloth whilst ignoring the black, murderous rage aimed at him, Tanjirou's glare observed him intently.

And then, Tanjirou's anger was forgotten momentarily in favour of continuing his earlier thoughts—wondering why Muzan was in the form he had adopted the last time he had seen his friends alive, thirty-one nights before.

This was the first time Muzan had taken up this form since he had been brought there.

_If I'm not mistaken, this is his combat form. We've__**[1]**__ only met with it once so far, but why is he like this now?_

Tanjirou sniffed.

_Is it because he killed tonight?_

_Nah._

_He doesn't need to adopt this extreme form to kill. _

_He smells of blood almost every time he comes here, but why would he be in __**this**__ form tonight?_

_And since Muzan has lightning fast abilities to be able to kill in all his forms, this one is probably only reserved for serious situations. So if he's like this, it would mean that he encountered something really troublesome, is preparing for something troublesome, or maybe he… _Tanjirou paused to think for a moment _…couldn't control the change?_

_Hm._

_I don't think he encountered something troublesome. There's the scent of five people and none of them were Slayers._

_Thank goodness._

The relief he felt for thinking this thought and for feeling happy that none of his friends had been injured or killed, plunged his heart into a murky puddle of guilt as he was devaluing the lives of those lost at Muzan's hands not long ago, but Tanjirou took a deep breath and shook off the feeling.

He did not have the time to be distracted by guilt when the killer was right before him.

_So that leaves me with options two and three: he's either preparing for something troublesome or he could not control his physical change._

_I think that Muzan's ability to keep the forms he chooses is very stable so a lack of control can't be it._

_But…_

Suddenly, Tanjirou recalled Muzan's angry face from his dream.

_He was that black-haired jerk-Muzan in both of my dreams._

_Did he change right after that?_

_Oh._

_What if he changed because he lost to me?_

_Then that would mean he was so angry that his form morphed into this combat form thing and—_Tanjirou swallowed—_that he's preparing for something troublesome, which is…me?_

This thought immediately made Tanjirou want to refute the conclusion he was making but he could not.

That poisonous rage he had felt from Muzan when the Demon King was looking at him both in his dream and from the doorway had been intense enough to kill him on the spot.

_So…why is he this calm now?_

_Did he just randomly decide to not kill me, or is he preparing for something else?_

Tanjirou's gaze went over Muzan's figure. Standing with his back to him, his medium-length wavy white hair in its low ponytail shone resplendently, reflecting the light from the overhead lamp. He was dressed in a pair of dark grey wool pants with a light grey waistcoat over a turquoise blue fitted long sleeved shirt.

Tall and in excellent shape, Muzan was handsome. His clothes fit his body in a way that accentuated the chiselled, muscular planes of his back, sculpted waist and firm buttocks but Tanjirou's rage and suspicion made him ignorant to everything. Everything, other than one; that this was Muzan in the room with him and two; how much he hated the fact that the demon was there in front of him and alive.

_Jerk, _Tanjirou thought, but as soon as Muzan turned back to him after rinsing out the cloth and hanging it on the rack above the sink to dry, he froze.

It was time for his body to be cleaned. This was the part he hated the most.

Tanjirou watched Muzan carry a small, wooden polished table to his bedside. It was about the height of the bed inclusive of the mattress and atop it he placed a small stack of dry rags and towels, along with the two washbasins.

When Muzan focused on him again, he cringed.

_Ugh._

_Don't come near me._

Muzan's smile was cordial like that of a night shift nurse as he sat down at the edge of the bed.

"…" Just looking at him made Tanjirou sick but he decided that with Muzan being in his 'combat form' he did not stand a chance in making it through anything the demon had planned for him that night unless he played possum. Clearly, tonight was going to be different from his previous thirty nights there at the mansion. It was the climax of his stay there.

_Don't despair, Tanjirou! _He reminded himself with his usual determination speech that he would use whenever he despaired or got depressed. _You are the eldest boy. You are strong!_

No. Being down was not his destiny. He had to overcome this darkness. To remain this way would be to become trapped in his sadness, to remain within the downtrodden state that Muzan had weaved for him. He had to conquer this. He had to break loose from his fate.

_So what if he's in his stupid combat form?_

_If he got this angry because of me, he can get reckless and do something he hasn't done before._

_Focus on his weakness and grab that opportunity to get free tonight._

Tanjirou's deduction was that if Muzan was so angry that he had changed his usual cautious method of acting, then maybe something else might change. That was how the universe worked; everything was in equilibrium and one unexpected action usually denoted another.

_This could be the opening I was waiting for._

_I might even manage to get out of these bonds and escape._

And to ensure that, Tanjirou knew what had to be done. He had to play the part of the hapless victim until he could be free.

But he was still worried though. Playing a victim role to fool another person meant that one would not actually be feeling like a victim. One would not be as affected by the constant torture as much as he was. One would be able to think logically and plan carefully but right now, all Tanjirou felt was rage and desperation mixed in with his depression.

Could he really do this?

Could he really escape?

His gaze narrowed on Muzan's friendly smile and in spite of his body humming happily in response to its Master's proximity, he thought bitterly, _Why can't you drop dead already?_

_I wouldn't be in this situation if you had just died in Ubuyashiki-sama's attack. _

_Why did that nice guy and most of his family have to die but not you?_

_You even survived Tamayo-san's attack. _

_You're like a cockroach. A pest!_

"Let's see," Muzan mused good naturedly in spite of the eyes of hate and disgust Tanjirou was looking up at him with. "Mn…~" Reaching up, his hands glided over Tanjirou's fully bandaged arms. Those bandages were there to dress the wounds Tanjirou had suffered following his knife torture a few days prior to that night.

Grabbing the ends on both arms, Muzan tore off the bandages and smirked.

"You no longer need these," he mumbled, looking over Tanjirou's smooth tanned skin that was free of the previous knife torture marks and the words _'Property of Muzan' _that he had carved repeatedly into them.

Untying his robe, he spread open the garment to reveal Tanjirou's bandaged nudity and looked down at him.

As his gaze travelled over his small body, he observed how his conversion had not changed any part of him immensely.

Tanjirou's body still looked human, his skin was the same tanned colour and he remained with all his old scars. Only the new ones that were from his recent needle and knife tortures had disappeared, as they were in a healing state when he had been converted.

Intrigued, Muzan trailed his fingers over the edges of a few of the smaller marks.

His skin was perfectly smooth, except for those old scars.

Big or small, Muzan was fully aware that Tanjirou had acquired most of his body scars from the many battles that he had undertaken on his journey to meet him—battles that had almost killed him.

Muzan did not mind that Tanjirou's demonization had failed to remove those scars. Actually, he preferred it that way, and his decision for this was the same as his decision to leave Tanjirou with his Hanafuda earrings; he wanted to keep as much of the boy the same as possible.

To him, his scars were proof that this Slayer had fought with all his willpower, strength and abilities to get to meet him, and that despite all his struggles; he had ended up as his lowly demon pet, instead of as his killer.

And the sight of his Hanafuda earrings reminded him of what he had to gain if he could completely subdue Tanjirou.

The prospect of having not only a Demon Slayer but a Breath of the Sun user as his loyal pet was so lovely that the corner of Muzan's lips quirked up into a crude smile.

He would finally be getting his revenge for all the wrongs the Demon Slayers had done to him over the centuries. He would be vilifying Yoriichi's precious Breath Style. He would be ruining one of Ubuyashiki's valuable and gifted Slayers.

Yes. He had to keep breaking Tanjirou down. He had to do it until the boy was a mere shadow of who he was.

"…" Muzan's thoughts were exciting him so much that he could barely keep his excitement from rolling off him.

_No._ He made a conscious effort to control himself. It was imperative that he keep calm.

He had to keep his sadistic anticipation under control.

Tanjirou was a sensitive boy and seemed capable of picking up on whenever he was about to aggressively torture him.

Muzan smirked.

He wanted this to be a surprise.

_I want Tanjirou-kun to be in absolute shock when he learns of his fate._

The smirk remained on Muzan's face as he pushed aside his thoughts, and instead of voicing what he was thinking of as his gaze went back to Tanjirou's body, he muttered, "And you don't need these either…"

He pulled off the bandages from around Tanjirou's torso and thighs, discarding them, along with the ones from his arms, into a neat pile at the side of the bed.

Hungry fuchsia pink eyes went back to the boy's scars.

There was one on his collarbone and another, a set of three long uneven marks, that traversed diagonally from the left to the right side of his body over his ribs.

These scars made it seem as though he had almost been cleaved open by the sharp talons of a large beast and Muzan's fingertips rubbed over them.

Their surface was smooth, raised and a little puffy and briefly Muzan wondered how long he had carried these and which one of his demons had marked Tanjirou's body so beautifully.

_Was it then? _Muzan pondered, thinking of Gyuutaru's attack on Tanjirou when the two of them were fighting on one of the roofs in the Red Light District[2].

_And this one—_His fingers patted the scar of what had most definitely been a deep gash on his collarbone—_was that time, hm?_

_Right. Daki did that to him__**[3]**__…_

_Nice~_

_Oh...this..._

His fingers pressed at the indentation that had been made from a long pointy tool. It was a bit more faded than the others, but Muzan could see that this scar had been the most serious. And without needing to be told, he knew that this was the injury that had almost killed him. Tanjirou had been stabbed right over one of his kidneys and he would have bled out in no time.

A miracle must have saved him.

_Ah...This was Enmu...**[4]**_

Muzan's eyes twinkled with interest. The marks on Tanjirou's body were like the stars on the canvas of a stunning night sky that would guide the navigators of ancient times; they pulled back the memories of those fights that his Moons had had with this boy who was too stubborn to die.

"..." Under the guidance of their owner, the tips of Muzan's fingers glided down, lower on Tanjirou's warm tummy.

_And this—_

"Argh!"

His musings were interrupted when Tanjirou started to grow restless.

"Ugh…!"

As Tanjirou twisted wildly, obviously not liking the fact that he was touching and exploring the marks on his skin, Muzan's attention returned to the present.

His perusal of his captive's body brought his gaze to the cuffs at his wrists—those cuffs that had served to bind the boy's slim wrists to the bedposts for the past month.

Smoothly, he glided his index finger up the outside edge of Tanjirou's hand.

Within the cuffs, both hands were pressed palms together and he could see that with his conversion, Tanjirou's nails had grown a little longer and turned a dark red shaded gradient.

_Interesting~_

He smirked and then with ease, pulled Tanjirou's cuffs away from the metal bedposts, breaking their thick chains as though they were rotten thread—something that Tanjirou had been unable to accomplish for the entirety of his stay.

And like a morbid gift, a reminder of his imprisonment and what he was, Muzan left the cuffs around Tanjirou's wrists with a few links of broken chain hanging from each.

When his freedom from bondage did not spurn a fight or flight response as the demon had anticipated, Muzan leaned close to regard the boy below him with an avid, wary gaze.

**_'_****_Since you're not trying to run away,'_** Muzan said as he hooked one pale finger in the O-ring of his black leather collar, **_'Does that mean that you will soon submit completely to me?'_**

Tanjirou kept his gaze averted.

_Ignore him. Ignore him…_

"…" Muzan's intense gaze went over his face before going back to the reproachful stare the other was doing his best to not give him.

Tanjirou was being stubborn and no matter how long he glared at him, he refused to respond with their mind connection, move, or speak.

He simply lay there as limp as a ragdoll.

The Demon King realized then what he was doing. Tanjirou's goal for tonight was not to actively fight, but to ignore him, and as the boy retained his determination to not speak to him and continued to remain unresponsive, Muzan's grip on his collar tightened, pulling him up by its O-ring, a bit off the bed and closer to his body.

Their gazes finally locked and immediately, Muzan noticed something now that he was not so preoccupied with thinking about or mocking him.

Those intense, hateful eyes Tanjirou possessed, the ones that always glared at him, were even more hateful than before. And in their demonic beauty, they shone like precious gems.

Tanjirou had become, in all honesty, a beautiful demon, as, like Muzan, he had not lost his human features completely. What his transformation had done to change him physically, was to sprout stubby little horns with butterscotch-coloured stripes a few inches apart on his forehead along with what appeared to be cat-like ears atop his head.

_Cat…? ~_

The subject of Muzan's scrutiny, hidden within Tanjirou's dark red and black two-toned hair, those ears were the same tone as his hair and not very noticeable as they were so flattened with a mix of possibly fear and anger that they were almost buried by his bushy hair[4].

"What are you?" Muzan asked. "A cat demon?"

"Huh…?" Tanjirou's rage vanished and confusion took its place. Muzan's comment was lost on him. _What?_

"Maybe I've been treating you so much like a pet that you actually became one with my blood~"

As Muzan laughed, the sound was a weird mix of being harsh and underlined by evil yet thoroughly entertained and Tanjirou looked up at him in confusion.

_What's so funny…?_

_I knew he was crazy…but this is kind of a bit extreme—_

"I must admit…" Muzan went on, "I did not expect that. It was not my intention—" he smirked "—but it's a welcomed change…~"

With eyes trained on his little captive's new ears, he reached out, without fear of being bitten or clawed[5], to touch one and it twitched reflexively in response, perking up immediately.

"…!" Tanjirou gasped. "What are you—?!" He started to ask as Muzan started to stroke his ear but suddenly, a shock of intense pleasure seized him, proceeding to go swiftly through his body as the stroking sensation intensified.

"Hm…" Muzan held the edge of one ear and tugged gently, then rubbed along its edge with two fingers before gracefully moving those fingers to rub down at the base of that ear—the epicentre of its pleasurable zone.

"Yaaah…!" Tanjirou closed his eyes halfway, head cocked to one side as that satisfying touch consumed his entire being.

_What is that?!_

_What is he doing?_

Tanjirou's eyes cracked open a bit to look pleadingly up at Muzan.

**_'Oh. So you like having your ears touched.'_**

Muzan laughed, the sound easy-going and handsome as he spoke with their mind connection,

**_'It's interesting how now that your body belongs to me, you're not putting up a big fight for this bath~' _**

**_'Poor Tanji-kun~ Did you think that you were succeeding in your little plot to fool me by acting passive?'_**

**_'No, not at all. You're acting this way because you're a submissive[7] now. MY submissive and you naturally crave to obey me_**—**_your Master. You are a tool. Your body will always do as I say and you will only feel good when you're doing what I want you to do~" _**

**_'Heh~'_**

**_'Maybe I should reward a good boy like you with a wonderful feeling~'_**

**_I'm not such a cruel Master to ignore my sub when he behaves himself~'_**

His fingers smoothed their way down to Tanjirou's chin and as he rubbed a point under there and down his neck, Tanjirou literally melted.

**_'Oh…?' _**

**_'You're even purring…'_**

**_'You really are just like a cat.'_**

_A…cat? Why does he keep calling me that…? _Tanjirou's befuddlement was evident on his face in spite of the pleasure buzzing through his body. What was Muzan even talking about? And why had he been touching up where his ears definitely were not?

_Ah…_

_Oh…_

_Why…can't I move now that he's touching…me like this?_

_Unless…_

_Unless…?!_

For some strange reason Tanjirou recalled Tamayo's cat and how it would behave whenever he rubbed its head and ears…like what Muzan was currently doing to him.

_What? _

_What…?_

_Ah…my transformation…?_

_Did I turn into—?_

"…!" Muzan leaned closer and this action obliterated his thoughts. The handsome demon's face was terribly close to his for a moment as the older male licked his lips briefly and pushed his body up over his.

"Ah…!" Tanjirou's body trembled and arched as something warm and wet started touching the pleasurable spot near his ear.

And while this was happening, Muzan continued to stroke under his chin.

"Ah…hah…!" Tanjirou moaned. He could not control it. He felt as though he was about to fall to pieces. "Ahhhh…"

_It feels good…_

He pressed his thighs together, unsure as to why he felt an intense, primal urge to do this.

_Good…So good…!_

"Mmmm…" Muzan pushed, then curled his tongue deeper into the outer shell of Tanjirou's ear, delighting in the way he had instantly gone submissive and was twitching underneath him.

_Nice, _Muzan admitted to himself, finding the boy attractive, when before, he had thought of him as nothing but a pest and a brat.

"Ah…ah…" Tanjirou gasped, trying to be angry but failing. "Muzan…stop…"

_Even the little sounds he's making are very…—_Muzan smirked_—…cute~_

"M-Muzan…!"

That sound was coiling, sweet, and hinging on desperation, and it was then that Muzan decided that he wanted to take everything from Tanjirou and not just once, but as many times as possible.

He wanted to see and hear more of his reactions.

He wanted to make Tanjirou call his name with even more desperation.

He wanted to own him. Exert his dominance on him. Demand his submission. Destroy him until he was coming apart under his body—shuddering and unable to deny what he was being made to feel.

"Hah…hah….oh…"

Just as Tanjirou was panting, seeming as though he was about to cum from that wet, thorough caress of his long flexible tongue in his ear, Muzan stopped his movements.

"I'm going to take it all," he whispered hotly to the red-faced boy looking dazedly up at him. "I want it. Everything you can give me and more…~"

"Hah…" Tanjirou kept his lips sealed tightly, nostrils flaring with the effort to take in more air. Muzan's focus on his lips and the brief flare of excitement he smelled coming from him, made him assume that the master demon was intending to kiss him.

_No._

_No…_

_No…!_

But just as Muzan's smouldering gaze flicked to his and Tanjirou was sure that their lips were about to meet, the other leaned to the side to whisper close to his ear,

"You are a beautiful demon~"

xxx

* * *

I don't want to be trapped in sadness  
I don't want to drop my tears on some downtrodden place  
Break loose from fate  
I should be able to run away  
My wish should be granted  
Smash them to bits, yesterday's conflicts  
Cry for the future from the edge of darkness

_**\- Kimetsu no Yaiba 'from the edge' Fiction Junction / LISA**_

* * *

My TWITTER - brownsugarprod1

* * *

****Chapter Bonus?: ****See brownsugarprod1 for the paint I did of Tanjirou's face.

**Next Chapter Title: **A Demon's Pride

**Next Chapter Teaser:** As Muzan's 'thirst' for him increases, Tanjirou's worry mounts and he becomes increasingly uncomfortable in his captor's presence. His body is fighting against him, but there isn't much that he can do to fight back.

****END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' (mostly Muzan's) actions from that chapter:****

**Looks like Muzan cannot be present in this author's note (audience celebrates). He's too busy acting all thirsty whilst looking at Tanjirou, thus, as he isn't here to protect his reputation, the author plans to say some troublesome things in reference to his conduct in this chapter.**

**-1** '…stubby little horns with butterscotch-coloured stripes a few inches apart on his forehead along with what appeared to be cat-like ears atop his head'

Author: I love kemonomimis and when I thought of Tanjirou becoming a cat boy demon after his transformation, that consumed my every waking thought of MuzanTan… I came up with this idea for his design on a whim lol. I took cues from the manga with how Tanjirou was always referred to as being very flexible and fast with his techniques. He also had other catlike attributes in the way he acted. Also, as I imagined a demon!Tanjirou, I felt that he **_had _**to have horns. There is more to his appearance of course, but I will reveal that in the next chapter!

**-2 **"Maybe I've been treating you so much like a pet that you actually became one with my blood~"

Author: Or…maybe he turned into your wildest fantasy *side eyes*

**-3** **_'You're even purring…'_**

**_'You're just like a cat.'_**

Author: Yeah, but I hope that you know that cats are fickle and one minute they're purring then the next they're clawing your eye out.

Author: Oh right, you can regenerate. In that case, carry on~

**-4 **His fingers smoothed their way down to Tanjirou's chin and as he rubbed a point under there and down his neck, Tanjirou literally melted.

Author: I know I wrote this as though Muzan is a cat person but this chapter already had its title and events before that situation with Muzan and Tamayo's cat, so when I saw what happened in the manga I was like :o But I like to think that because he was swinging his tentacles wildly, he did not see the cat. The cat also intentionally went into the path of his attacks to carry out its purpose. I know he would have probably still killed it if given the chance but shhhh. I've read enough animals dying cruelly at the hands of villains in JJBA so I don't need Muzan doing that too lol.

**-5 **"…!" Muzan leaned closer and the action obliterated his thoughts. The handsome demon's face was terribly close to his for a moment as the older male licked his lips briefly and pressed his body to him.

"Ah…!" Tanjirou's body trembled and arched as something warm and wet started touching the pleasurable spot near his ear.

Author: Hmmm Muzan...? What's got you so worked up? Someone's THIRSTY…

Author: Gotta admit that Muzan is like the 'Cat Whisperer'. He did all that without getting slashed or bitten

6- **_'It's interesting how now that your body belongs to me, you're not putting up a big fight for this bath~'_**

Author: Muzan…Now that Tanjirou's behaving, you want him to fight you more? What do you think this is, a WWE smackdown (wrestling)? This is not how you get your crush's attention. Or…maybe it is… *side eyes*

-7 Author: I'm always joking in the notes here about how the Muzan in this story has a big crush on Tanjirou, but this is only vaguely hinted at in the actual story. Sure, he is enamored with his potential to become a useful demon, his mental strength both annoys and amazes him, he realized too that Tanjirou could become a good masochist, and he's also kinda horny rn but actual romantic feelings haven't been confirmed. The feelings that Muzan is aware of at this moment is that he, in his opinion, dislikes Tanjirou a whole lot and wants to hurt him as much as possible and eventually kill him. He is aware that Tanjirou has him feeling horny rn but he's convinced that this horniness is just his desire to ruin his *** and break his mind.

Maybe he might fall for this fine uke specimen before he kills him...or maybe not :o

Author: As for Tanjirou's feelings, when he looks at Muzan he thinks of murder, while his body thinks of getting bent over and ****** but Tanjirou doesnt comprehend his body's urges...

**-8 **** '**_Then that would mean he was so angry that his form morphed into this combat form thing and—_Tanjirou swallowed—_that he's preparing for something troublesome, which is…me?_

This thought immediately made Tanjirou want to refute the conclusion he was making but he could not.'

Author: That moment when you realize that your Demon Daddy has had enough of your bullsh** and you're about to get ruined...

**-9 **Next chapter will showcase a full reveal of Tanjirou's form and another painting I did.

* * *

**References:**

[1] '_We've__ only met with it once so far' - Tanjirou is thinking 'we' as in the Demon Slayers, since he still considers himself a Slayer in spite of being converted to a demon. This is because he still has a human brain._

[2] Manga Chapter 90

[3] Manga Chapter 80 when Daki attacked the people in the street with her scarves and gave him a deep gash across his left collarbone

[4] Manga Chapter 61 When the train conductor attacked Tanjirou with an icepick-type weapon belonging to Enmui

[5] "**Ears** back and **flat** against head – This is a sure sign a cat is scared and feeling defensive. **Ears flat** against the head may also indicate an angry or aggressive cat. Either way, **ears** against the head means don't mess with this guy!" – Source . Bringing a Cat Home

[6] A cat that feels threatened will surely lash out if you touch them in this way.

[7] Submissive: It is as the name suggests; a submissive is the partner in a D/s relationship dynamic who gives up a certain degree of control to their Dominant / Master.


	10. A Demon's Pride

Important Notes:

Hello friends!

So...I was planning to update this since two days ago, but I went into a total writing-mania over the past week. Just writing, writing, writing...but that's fine I guess, because I fleshed out a lot of the plot for later scenes.

Anyways, **IMPORTANT NOTE**! I wrote a 1200 word Prologue to this story and added it to chapter one. For those who haven't read it (it was posted in the past week), you can if you so wish. It gives a brief overview (and angst) on Tanjirou's history, and gives a bit more insight to what had taken place on the night of his kidnapping—especially with the little mention of how they got to this mansion and what had happened to Nakime, since this story diverted from the manga in chapter 183 and she was still alive at that point. For this story, Muzan had not been the one to kill her when Tamayo's demon took control. He had been planning to have at least one Moon left after the others were killed. Prior to Nakime getting caught by Yuushiro, she facilitated Muzan's escape with Tanjirou but then, the Pillars finished 'cleaning up' while Muzan was escaping so Nakime did not make it out with them.

With his upper moons, the kind of talent Muzan had spent so much time finding and bringing together was not something one can find just anywhere.

So this is all part of the reason why he's been holding a grudge and taking out his frustrations on Tanjirou for the past 31 days. He's hella salty.

* * *

**CHAPTER WARNING: A** horny Muzan plays with the angry kitty ;p~~ (No sex rating yet)

**Chapter Bonus?: Yes...Painting avaiable. Tanjirou's appearance is revealed (for his whole body. See notes at the bottom.**

* * *

**Chapter Summary:**

As Muzan's 'thirst' for him increases, Tanjirou's worry mounts and he becomes increasingly uncomfortable in his captor's presence. His mind is rejecting Muzan as much as possible, but his body refuses to comply, wanting to submit wholly to the sheer power that his Master represents. Tanjirou forces himself to stay positive, but his body's willingness and his dark situation is pulling him into an even darker place. There isn't much that he can do to fight back.

* * *

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[BADUM]]: Heartbeats

_"Memory of a conversation."_

"Heh.": A laugh

**_'_****_Telepathic speaking'_**

* * *

_I close my eyes and remember_

_That time which has passed by_

_I can't turn back, I can't return home_

_There's a deep, yawning darkness_

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

* * *

Chapter 10: A Demon's Pride

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** At Muzan's mansion…

.•._  
_

_._

"You are a beautiful demon~"

**D**ESPITE HIS HEART RACING FROM the way those words were said to him, Tanjirou did not respond to Muzan's praise. Neither did he protest to the older male's attention.

Honestly, he wanted to keep telling himself that this was a nightmare, wherein all the worst things that could ever happen to him were taking place.

Muzan Kibutsuji, the master demon he was determined to behead and his sworn enemy had just given his body a very 'pleasurable feeling'.

And he, Tanjirou Kamado, was still blushing and reeling from what he had been forced to experience.

It was embarrassing to say the least.

He had been purring and mewling like a cat.

_What was up with that feeling anyway?_

_Am I really a cat now?_

Tanjirou's teeth grinded together as Muzan continued to hold his gaze.

_What's the point in being a cat when I can't scratch his eyes out? _he thought vehemently, positively enraged by Muzan's proximity.

The Demon King was practically leaning over him. He was so close that he could feel his cool breath on his lips. And the look in his eyes was as though he was expecting something.

_Stop looking at me, bastard…!_

_What the hell do you want?!_ Tanjirou found himself becoming increasingly anxious from the prolonged stare the other was giving him.

He could not understand why Muzan was looking so hungry but was not attempting to take a bite out of him.

_Why is he staring without saying anything?! Is he trying to intimidate me?!_

He growled, noting that now that his hands were finally free, with Muzan's face this close, he could slap him.

At last…the opportunity he had been dreaming of for the past month; a chance to feel his palm connect with the side of his face.

"…" His fingers twitched, preparing to execute his desire to wipe the smirk right off his face—but something was wrong.

He could not move, and he could not look away from him.

_Why…why…why?!_

One slap across his face was all he wanted, regardless of whatever punishment that might bring, but his hand refused to obey to carry out that gesture.

.

_"__You are a beautiful demon~"_

.

The memory of that compliment, pounding out in his head, only served to enrage him further.

The urge to grab Muzan by the neatly pressed collar of his turquoise blue dress shirt and punch him right across his annoying smirk was strong, so strong that he felt his inability to move like a pain in the depths of his soul.

"Tanjirou-kun~"

"…!" That lilting whisper made Tanjirou want to scream in his face that he did not care about being called a 'beautiful demon' and that his compliments meant nothing to him but the words refused to leave his mouth.

One of Muzan's slim, elegant fingers slid up his neck to tip his chin up and Tanjirou was trembling both with desire and rage.

He was so angry that he wanted to break down in tears from the height of fury flowing through his veins but even that was denied of him.

If only he could have, he would have punched Muzan square across his jaw and tell him that the way his body was 'no longer fighting' him and was quavering in delight under his touch and intense gaze was because those were all the reactions belonging to a body that was not under his control.

_This is not me! _Tanjirou wanted to scream but no sound came out.

_I haven't been subdued!_

_I'm not submitting to you…!_

Tanjirou gritted his teeth, growled and glared, but there was nothing he could do but remain seated and obedient.

He did not want to believe it, but his lack of an action was indeed because he had already been subdued. He had been subdued since the night before when he had fallen into Muzan's trap and agreed to take his blood.

What Tanjirou was doing now was merely ignoring the obvious and delaying the inevitable, and clearly amused by and silently mocking him with that knowledge, Muzan gave him one of his atypical condescending smiles.

It was like he was fully aware that Tanjirou longed to lash out and escape but was limited by his body—and of course, Tanjirou's suffering delighted him.

_Urgh! _Tanjirou continued to rage inside his head. His inability to speak was as though his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth and all the insulting and insubordinate things he had to say to his Master, remained stuck in his throat.

It was as though his new body was trying to prevent him from being rebellious.

_I'm no longer me. This is not me,_ Tanjirou despaired, reminding himself that he was trapped within a situation that was totally out of his own control.

_I haven't been subdued! It's this stupid body…!_

_There's no way I would permit this vile demon-jerk-bastard to touch me like this—_

"Kitty~" Muzan rubbed his finger under his chin and Tanjirou shuddered in delight.

_No…!_

_Stop…! Stop reacting…!_

He could feel the rumble in his throat that he recognized was an indication that he was purring. _No…! _

"What a cute kitty~" Muzan said in his thick accent and Tanjirou wanted to melt into a puddle.

_Ahhhhh! _Tanjirou felt the joy of Muzan's touch affecting not only his body, but his mind as well. He was genuinely loving being touched in this way._ No…! This is so frustrating…! Why am I liking this?! There's no way I'll ever like his touch!_

_It's this stupid body…!_

Tanjirou tried to keep his face neutral while Muzan maintained eye contact with him.

_Stop touching me…!_

The Demon King's handsome face was a bit too close for his liking, and he could feel his heart slamming against his ribcage in a frenetic rhythm.

[[BADUM]]

[[BADUM]]

[[BADUM]]

His body was going crazy with delight for Muzan, while his brain was going crazy with rage.

And he was sure that Muzan could hear the thumping of his heart and was aware of how affected he was.

With the gargantuan effort it was taking to fight his reactions to Muzan's caress, a fine cold sweat started to pepper the damp skin of his forehead and subconsciously, Tanjirou found himself grateful for the head injury that had warranted the bandage Muzan had wrapped across his forehead[1].

If it was not for that being there to absorb the moisture on his skin, he would have been visibly sweating buckets right at that moment.

_Muzan…_

[[Purr]]

_I hate you…_

[[Purr]]

_I hate you…!_

He trembled delightfully.

It was too much to be immobile in a body that was naturally quavering in the presence of its Master.

"…" Muzan's tongue came out to lick over his lips as though he was looking at something delicious, and Tanjirou's attention was drawn to how long and pink it was.

_Ah._

_Ah…_

_Go away…! _He thought vehemently.

Having a demon's body meant that Tanjirou felt the things he normally would not have noticed or cared about when he was human.

_Mm…_

Muzan's scent was strong and alluring. His naturally dominating presence made him automatically want to surrender everything. His skin, soft and smooth as one hand caressed the underside of his neck while the other was tightly gripping his collar, was causing a strange excited buzzing throughout his body.

_Go away… Go away… Go away…!_

In all honesty, Tanjirou was a mess. Doing his best to keep a straight face under Muzan's scrutiny was taking almost all of his mental strength.

And then, just like that, when Tanjirou thought that he was at the limit of his endurance, Muzan released him.

"…" Tanjirou almost cried in relief when Muzan finally broke their tense eye contact and the hand released his collar to focus on putting him into a sitting position.

But it was upsetting on a whole new level as the older male slowly disrobed him, sliding his soiled clothing down his shoulders and back to expose his full nudity.

As though seeking a reaction, Muzan looked up at him as he did this, but Tanjirou promptly turned his head away, closed his eyes and started to count to ten.

_One…two…three…four…five—_

It was when he reached five that he heard his Master chuckle lowly and whisper something about him blushing like a girl, that Tanjirou forced himself to tune out his surroundings.

"…" He used the concentration he had learned over the years as a Breaths user to not react to Muzan's gentle, dedicated touch and to distract his mind from feeling humiliated about the fact that he was now naked and about to be cleaned like a child.

And that attempt worked.

Tanjirou was in control again. And he managed to seamlessly remain in control as his body was carefully wiped down with the soapy cloth.

That was until Muzan turned to his makeshift bath station on the adjacent table to change his washcloth.

The movement drew his attention and as Tanjirou opened his eyes to steal a glance at Muzan, he gasped softly as he looked to see that the Demon King was watching him intensely.

And what made it absolutely disconcerting was that Muzan did not look away now that he had been caught watching him.

Instead, he continued to watch him boldly and Tanjirou swallowed his anxiety, unable to explain the wholly uncomfortable feeling he would get every time their eyes met—the wholly uncomfortable feeling he was getting right at that moment.

Muzan's gaze felt like anticipation mixed with excitement.

It felt concentrated, like the energy one would give off when they were about to partake in a grand meal.

The look in Muzan's eyes was as though he wanted to eat him whole.

What did it mean when someone looked at you that way?

What did it mean when their eyes made you feel as though they were looking right through to your very soul?

Tanjirou did not know and as he fidgeted, trying hard to hide the fact that he was feeling self-conscious, Muzan commanded, "Spread your legs. It's time to clean down there~"

"…?!" His discomfort mounted and in response to that order, Tanjirou gave him a side-eye glare while gritting his teeth but Muzan merely gave him a blank look.

"Well?" Muzan prompted. "Are you going to make a fuss about this again?"

When Tanjirou said nothing, while visibly fighting his body's desire to follow that command by pressing his legs together as hard as he could, Muzan frowned lightly.

"Tanjirou," he said firmly, using the dominant tone of voice he was training the boy to recognize and obey as his 'Master is angry' voice. "I asked you a question: Are you planning to give trouble?"

"Um…" Tanjirou, trembling with the amount of strength it was taking to make his body disobey Muzan, clenched his teeth together to stop his automatic response.

He did not want to quail before him.

_I have to stay strong._

_I have to…_

"…" The stern expression on Muzan's face darkened and glancing briefly to the cuffs at the boy's ankles he added, "Do you want me to use the leg chains?"

"...!" Tanjirou did **_not _**want that. The last thing he wanted at this point was to be in chains and vulnerable while Muzan was looking at him with those hungry eyes.

"I…er no…" he mumbled, not wanting to give his sadistic Master more reasons to punish him.

"Well?"

"…" Tanjirou reluctantly, and slowly parted his legs.

Muzan immediately looked down but then his eyebrows went up. "Oh…well isn't this interesting."

The words tumbled forth from his lips with much apathy, but Tanjirou could sense an underlying tone of mirth in that sentence and that only made him terribly curious—and worried.

He wanted to ask Muzan what he was looking at with such intrigue between his legs but his pride was stopping him.

"…" Muzan looked up at his face then back to the spot that had his attention. "You really don't know what's down there? ~"

**_What _**_is down there?_ Tanjirou knew that Muzan was being deliberately vague so that he would look for himself but he refused to. Instead, he asked in a strained voice, "W-what is it…?"

"Seriously." Muzan frowned. "How could you not know that you have a tail? Didn't you feel something under you…?"

"I have a…what?!" Tanjirou almost yelled and Muzan smiled.

"Mmhm~" The grin Muzan was aiming at the panicked boy was mischievous. "Why are you so distressed?" He asked. "Don't you like the idea of having one?"

"I didn't even know I had one! And I don't want one!" Tanjirou replied in that same panicked tone, refusing to look down to see this new body part. "First cat ears, now a tail?!"

"Oh and then there's the horns~" Muzan pointed at his own head with his index finger, then added his middle. "Two."

"I have horns?!" Tanjirou gasped, as the question crossed his mind about whether his pair of new horns was the reason why he had been having migraines during his transformation. "What?"

"Of course you have horns. You're a cat demon, not a cat boy~" Muzan paused in thought. "I should get you a mirror," he mumbled, but as he made to get up, Tanjirou's shout interrupted him.

"No!" Tanjirou shook his head in a desperate motion. "I don't want to see myself…"

"You might like it~"

"I won't!"

"…" At Tanjirou's insistence, Muzan gazed down at his stubborn pout. He could always force Tanjirou to look at himself, but he did not see the fun in doing that. To him, a demon should always take pride in its appearance, no matter what result its transformation brought about.

Maybe it was because he was the progenitor of all demons that he felt like this, but whatever the reason, this was definitely not something he was going to use to stress Tanjirou, although it would be the perfect weapon to use against the boy as Tanjirou was obviously quite sensitive about his new look.

"But I can sort of understand why you didn't know it was here~" The tip of Muzan's index finger stroked over the tightly coiled up tail between Tanjirou's legs and in response to his touch, it slowly unfurled, briefly wagging from side to side before stretching out to hang over the side of the bed.

"It's quite long," he mumbled but when he looked up at Tanjirou, the boy was stubbornly keeping his gaze straight ahead and away from his face.

"Your tail was all curled up," Muzan informed him. "It's like it was hiding from you. Why are you so embarrassed by this? You have an interesting appearance."

"It's not interesting! It's ugly…!" Tanjirou glanced to him but quickly looked away moodily. "I hate my body! I hate it…! And I hate you!"

"You need to have pride in the way you look," Muzan insisted as he placed one finger under his chin to tip his face back to him.

Tanjirou merely hissed at him and Muzan shrugged. "And by the way, you may be a cat demon, but your tail isn't like a cat's tail," Muzan said, although Tanjirou clearly did not want to know the details. "More like a demon tail."

"What…?" Tanjirou's eyebrows dipped downwards. "What the heck is a 'demon tail'?" He demanded, forgetting that he was now conversing with Muzan when his previous intention had been to ignore him for the rest of the night.

"It's hard to explain, I'll show you later~"

"Ahhhhh don't show me anything! I don't want to see it!" Tanjirou knew that he could easily sit up a bit straighter and look down between his legs, but he did not want to. He did not want to see any part of his new body. "What the hell is happening?!" He despaired. "What the hell am I? I'm…a freak!"

"A demon doesn't have to look like anything specific you know~" Muzan's studious gaze travelled over the face of the boy who appeared as though he was having an existential crisis.

"What you are is what you are—so get used to it," he added, although Tanjirou's question had not been seeking an answer. "You seem to keep forgetting that you're no longer a human. These changes are natural."

"'Natural'?!" Tanjirou's eyes were suddenly aflame with his rage. "**_You_** did this to me! **_You_** tricked me! **_You _**turned me into a monster!"

"Maybe so~~" Muzan replied playfully in a sing-song tone whilst reaching into the front pocket of his waistcoat and as he did this, he started to hum a jovial tune, to the beat of the song that had been stuck in his head all day _"… 🎵__~"_

"'Maybe so'?" Tanjirou shouted back at him in shock. "What the heck do you mean by 'maybe so'?! What about having two horns, cat ears and a demon tail is natural? I'm an abomination! How can you—"

"Hmmmm…_"… 🎵_ ~" Muzan ignored Tanjirou's quarrel while he searched through his pocket.

_Ah~_

He smiled as his fingers closed over the handle of the silver razor he had picked up from the last village's haberdashery shop on his way back to the mansion.

_Now for my favorite part._

He glanced down at the thick patch of dark red hair between Tanjirou's legs and grimaced.

_Every time I come here, I've been so preoccupied with torturing him that I kept forgetting to bring a razor._

_Now, tonight…finally…that bush will be gone. _

_The sight of that thing's been torturing me more than I've been torturing him…_

Briefly, Muzan held the razor up to the lamplight before busying himself with fitting in its new blades from the little foil packet he had also retrieved from his pocket as he continued to hum. _"… 🎵__~"_

"…and that's why none of that makes any sense!" Tanjirou was still ranting. "'Maybe so' isn't right when you're the jerk, the scourge, the **_bastard_** that…that—" Tanjirou stopped mid-rant as the glint of the overhead light on the handle of the silver razor made him take notice of what Muzan was holding. "Um…"

"…" Muzan looked at him, smiled, and then went back to what he was doing in fixing the blades. _"… 🎵__~"_

"Er…" Although he did not have any facial hair yet, Tanjirou did not have to ask about the apparatus in the older male's possession as he had had his first experience with shaving already and that was from the Pillar, Uzui-sama.

He knew what was going to happen next. Muzan was going to attempt to shave him.

_But I don't have any hair—_

Just then, he recalled the details of what had occurred prior to embarking on his Red Light District Mission with Uzui-sama, Zenitsu and Inosuke, and what had to be done for them to appear as cute young girls hoping to work at one of the houses.

_Oh._

"Heh…" Muzan chuckled lightly when he saw his pet's worried gaze. "Oh Tanji-kun~ Let's start part two of tonight's clean-up session. First I'll be cleaning up the mini forest between your legs, then the bushes you seem adamant about growing under your arms," he informed him with a tight smile.

Tanjirou was visibly worried. "But…I don't want—"

"**_Don't_** argue with me," Muzan snarled. "I'm not going to tolerate any of your objections tonight. Do you want to get your little dick cut off?"

"…!" Tanjirou shook his head quickly, but remained mum.

"Good boy," Muzan muttered. "As you've experienced, I have the hands of a doctor, but do remember, if you fight me, I might make an accident and you might just—"

_"__Shhhlip!" _Muzan made a slashing sound and Tanjirou reflexively put both hands over his groin.

"W-what…?" Tanjirou's brow was furrowed and his expression bore a mixture of anger and fear. His ears went down and back and he growled, flashing a bit of his canines.

He had forced his body to recognize Muzan as a threat and had gone into defense mode, ready to lash out.

"…" Muzan's expression, in contrast to his, was calm but the danger emanating from him and filling the air was tangible.

"My, my…you're looking very **_dangerous_**, my boy~" He chuckled, although Tanjirou continued to glare at him. But then, in the mere passing of a second, his eyes narrowed and the putrefying menace in the atmosphere became a crushing weight. "I think you misunderstand, my dear Tanji-kun. I'm not threatening you…but…you are aware that accidents **_do_** happen, right? ~"

XXX

Even if I can't see the end of the storm  
I can't pick my path any longer, just win and survive  
Losing always balances love and anger  
Now stand up, one more time,  
Where will you swing  
Your blade down on now?

_**\- Kimetsu no Yaiba 'from the edge' Fiction Junction / LISA**_

* * *

My TWITTER - brownsugarprod1

* * *

****Chapter Bonus?: ****See brownsugarprod1 for the paint I did of Tanjirou's full form.

**Next Chapter Title: **Fighting a Losing Battle (lol more like Fighting to Keep His **_Hair _**ahahaha)

**Next Chapter Teaser: **As they clash, Muzan shows Tanjirou that he can now make him submit even without the use of his chains. And as the hopelessness of his forced submission closes around him like a thick, dark fog, Tanjirou starts to feel as though he is fighting a losing battle…

Will he ever be able to regain the hope that is being surreptitiously stolen away?

.

****END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' (mostly Muzan's) actions from that chapter:****

**Now to say a lot of troublesome things in reference to Muzan's conduct in this chapter.**

**-1** 'He could not understand why Muzan was looking so hungry but was not attempting to take a bite out of him.

_Why is he staring without saying anything?! Is he trying to intimidate me?!'_

Author: *steeples fingers* Well you see, Tanjirou, there comes a time when a man gets-

Ok...I can tell you why he's looking at you like that, but then you might run *whispers* he's hungry for that sugar you've got~~~

**-2 '**"What a cute kitty~" Muzan said in his thick accent and Tanjirou wanted to melt into a puddle.'

b. 'His skin, soft and smooth', '…Muzan's gentle, dedicated touch'

Author: Tanjirou is horny for Muzan's accent and he (Tanjirou) doesn't even know it...

I head-canon that since Muzan comes from a wealthy family and is always so well dressed etc., his upbringing affected him quite a lot (we see it in the way the mangaka always has him in those nice suits / shirts etc) and not only in the way he dresses:

i) So he has the sexiest, most polite way of speaking in a perfect pitch and tone—it's a natural thing and he doesn't even think about it. But then he also has a way of talking dirty / saying crude things in that same sexy, polite and perfect pitch and tone lol.

ii) He has a different accent to the majority of people around him that can't really be placed because it's a combination of 1) his original accent that is pretty much outdated now 2) him traveling around the world and 3) the fact that he grew up in a whole different era compared to the present.

iii) All of his actions are very gentleman-like, polished and eloquent.

iv) He has reallyyy smooth skin and hands, unlike Tanjirou, who had to do a lot of manual work since he was younger. Another contrast between them is that Tanjirou's speech and mannerisms are a bit rougher. Not uncultured, but just not as polished as Muzan's is.

So…yeah, think of that when you read interactions between the two of them here as that's the premise I'm writing him from.

**-3 **'"First cat ears now a tail?!"'

Author: Yessss he has a tail too! When I revealed the design to my friend, they insisted that there be three hearts at the end of his tail instead of one and that his tail start higher up on his back as a bumpy ridge (I'll show the painting of his back in another chapter when Muzan sees it). I liked the idea of his tail having those aspects so much that I immediately changed my tail design to reflect that. And I feel like his tail having a sheen as though it glittered would be nice. Kind of like those shiny scales on pretty dragons.

**-4 '**First I'll be cleaning up the mini forest between your legs, then the bushes you seem adamant about growing under your arms," he informed him with a tight smile.'

Author: Be careful, Tanji-kun, he's preparing you for the feast~~~

Author: lolol the next chapter should be titled 'Deforestation' or 'Brush cutting' lmao

**-5 **"…Do you want to get your little dick cut off?"

Author: lol I know his dick can **_possibly _**regenerate, but…you'll see (in the next chapter) what Tanjirou was thinking that made him get scared haha

**-6** Me while thinking of cat demon Tanjirou "Aww you drew a cat[2]…now you're a cat…hehe ('hehe' as in a laugh…not an MJ pun…omgg lol)"

Why are you so adorable… you're only going to make Muzan want to hurt you more if you keep acting like this ^^;

**-7 **"I think you misunderstand, my dear Tanji-kun. I'm not threatening you…but…you are aware that accidents **_do_** happen, right? ~"

Author: Riiiiiiiiight…you're not threatening him, you're informing him :)

* * *

**References:**

[1] In Chapter One; Prologue: You Are Dead to the World, Tanjirou had the head injury / concussion that he suffered from Akaza's attack and wore a makeshift bandage Giyuu had wrapped on his head while they recovered from the fight. Muzan had simply replaced it while cleaning him up afterwards.

[2] Manga Chapter 169's extras

* * *

**SPECIAL NOTES:**

Thank you everyone for your reviews and kind words! They made me smile and really cheered up my mood. You taking th time to say those things to me is greatly appreciated and I'm happy to all of you who are enjoying what I've been writing so far!

Guest #1: Thank you a million for your kind words! Hahaha yes! This is a sadistic style of writing and I'm glad you like it! I also love to make it more intense by mixing in fluff right before graphic scenes and you will see that in later chapters xD

.

Muse: Yes! Weak Tanjirou is so cute! Especially when he's fighting against a fate he cannot control ;p Oh and that part with Muzan playing with him was my fave too. I enjoyed writing it!

.

Tanaki Nova: Oh man your reviews made me smile xD Thank you for getting caught up with this story despite your busy schedule! Ah, you're a nurse? Please take care of yourself with this crazy virus outbreak and get lots of rest! Ahhh and don't let me get started on that 'miracle' drug Tamayo used on Muzan. I can write a thesis on my frustrations -_- I think what upsets me the most is demon or not, they did not have the kind of technologies in the Taisho Period to create such advanced drugs. People seem to believe that drugs are magic but the type of drug that Tamayo made is extremely complex...so complex that it has to affect the body on a genetic level. That time period wasn't so knowledgeable about genetic engineering then. How about lab facilities and equipment? She had only been shown to be a doctor, not a scientist, now all of a sudden we get a flashback of her in a simple lab with shinobu.

I'm not mad tho, I just wish that it was foreshadowed more. Like, in the chapter where Tanjirou went to her house, a glimpse of a lab with tech beyond their era should have been shown. I would have been like yeeeeeahhhhh! Did u read the latest chapter (196)? I won't go into detail in case u haven't, but at this point with this drug being a four-layer cake, Muzan's nerfed so badly that even human Nezuko could kill him. And, to anyone reading this, I'm not hating. I still love KNY. It's just that for the length of time they have been working on this drug and the available technologies for genetic engineering, it's not plausible but whatever, I'll still love the manga

I'm hoping that what one person said turns out to be true: Tamayo's drug is actually turning Muzan human and when daylight comes he will be 100% human.

If this Is what's gong to happen I wlll celebrate so hard because I want Muzan to live. But I'm a little sad bc the author did say that there will be a bad 'end' for KNY and I have my doubts for Tanjirou, as with that huge cancer on his face, he doesn't look too good...

.

Guest #2: Ooooooh THANK YOU! I am soooo happy that you enjoy this so much! I can hardly wait to see your reaction for future Sadism / Masochism stuff! As for writing more fics like this, I'm not sure if I'll do more in this fandom. This one was totally unplanned and I'm actually stealing time from another big fic project I'm supposed to be writing for to write for this *hides face*

"Tanjirou not even realizing he's already losing the battle before it even started" - You are totally predicting what is said in this chapter! His body is already subdued. Muzan knows this and is just playing with him but he is in heavy denial! But just imagine his emotional breakdown when he finally realizes this! Oh so sweet...

"Makes one think that sight really does heighten sensations. Tanjirou doesnt know he has cat ears, and doesnt know how to respond cuz he never saw them and thus feel kore sensitive" -Ahhh you are so right just wait till he actually sees himself in a mirror! Poor bby

Thank you a million for your kind words!

.


	11. Fighting a Losing Battle PT I

Notes:

Hey! I hope that you all are doing okay in spite of all the craziness happening around the world right now. And if you are in one of the countries that is being seriously affected by the outbreak, my heart and all my love goes out to you. Stay as safe as you can and do take care of yourselves.

Hopefully I can cheer you up a bit... This update is a day late but I was preparing something special. You all will be getting two chapter updates this week along with a painting I did. I will put up the next chapter (12) by Friday.

These two chapters will have angst, a little humour (?), horniness and some depression thrown in as Tanjirou starts to realize how hopeless his situation is.

And in this first part you'll see that Muzan's plot to break his mind is as multi-layered as Tamayo's miracle drug…

* * *

**Chapter Summary:**

As they clash, Muzan shows Tanjirou that he can now make him submit even without the use of his chains. And as the hopelessness of his forced submission closes around him like a thick, dark fog, Tanjirou starts to feel as though he is fighting a losing battle…

Will he ever be able to regain the hope that is being surreptitiously stolen away?

* * *

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

[[Sound]]

_"Memory of a conversation."_

oOoOoOoOoOo: The start / end of a flashback

.

.

. Three full stops in a vertical line mean that a little time has elapsed.

* * *

And like a storm you can't

Control somethings in this world

Not everything can be protected

I already know that

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (AmaLee Ver.)_**

* * *

Chapter 11: Fighting a Losing Battle PT I : Undercover Work

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** At Muzan's mansion…

.•.

**"****A**H…" THE PURE DANGER EMANATING from the Demon King choked him.

Those evil tendrils, though not tangible, felt real, as if they were wrapping themselves around his neck, snaking tighter with each passing second.

_It…it hurts…_

Tanjirou held his ground, but quickly found that he was fighting a losing battle.

He trembled in the wake of the intense malice building around him.

His breaths were shallow and there was an unbearable ache in his head whenever he tried to push past his fear of the looming threat before him.

He could not understand why he was so afraid. He had never been this terrified of Muzan while in his presence before.

_Ah._

The feeling of being unable to move was back again, but this time, it was as though there was a crushing weight over him.

"Ahck…" A choked sound left his lips instead of the insult he had meant his utterance to be.

_What…?_

_I… can't look away from him._

_I'm…so scared._

_Is it because of my conversion?_

_Is my fear from this body…?_

Unbeknownst to Tanjirou and far from any of his present notions about what was taking place, this was not some kind of trick or Muzan reclaiming control of his body. This was the evidence that the gears had started to turn in Muzan's favour.

His human mind was reluctantly starting to submit.

It was just Tanjirou's misfortune that his captor was well-versed in a number of subjects, and had decided that if Tanjirou's victory lay in his mental strength, then he would work harder at what he had recently been reading up on—the possibility of the mind submitting without its owner's knowledge.

This was the reason why Tanjirou was this bothered. He had no idea that Muzan had been utilizing subvert techniques to acquire his surrender, but his senses were picking up on the fact that something was amiss.

His fear was unnatural.

His desire to submit was too overwhelming.

But without knowing whether Muzan was actively doing something or if it was just his imagination, Tanjirou was defenceless to the fact that Muzan had been taking advantage of their torture sessions to plant the seeds to manipulate and weaken his mental control in the future[1].

He had been ardently training him on a subconscious level over the past thirty-one days of his captivity through a predetermined set of specific psychological triggers[2].

And he was trained quite well.

Sure, Muzan naturally controlled his demon body, but the demon's crude plot was seeded from the moment he was brought there.

By releasing varying degrees of killing intent while torturing him, and utilizing a certain intonation while speaking to him during his tortures, he had been meticulously conditioning him. And now that Tanjirou's brain was picking up on one of these specific signals now, he was already subconsciously submitting.

.

_"__Master hates disobedience."_

_"__Master is angry."_

_ "__Master would hurt you even more if you object too much."_

_"__You are not strong enough to fight."_

_ "__Fighting will achieve nothing."_

_._

These were all things that had been whispered to him during the heights of his torture sessions and now his mind was regurgitating them.

_ "__Fighting will achieve nothing."_

_"__Fighting will achieve nothing."_

_ "__Fighting will achieve nothing." _

.

Over and over these subliminal cues twirled around in his head until little by little, Tanjirou's harsh features evened out.

.

_ "__Fighting will achieve nothing."_

.

He stopped growling.

His lengthened canines retracted.

His tense muscles relaxed a bit.

And as all of this was taking place on a subliminal level, Tanjirou was ignorant of the depth of his present submission. In his conscious mind, he was only knowledgeable of the tension between himself and Muzan and his general caution.

_Fighting will achieve nothing, _he thought, unknowingly repeating this hidden cue as his final decision. _I wouldn't bother with challenging him. _

_But… I'm not giving up. It just isn't worth it right now._

Tanjirou pouted. As he looked at Muzan, while his Master met his cautious gaze with an unreadable one, he did not have to be told that this experience was going to be nothing like his experience with Uzui had been.

_Muzan is nothing like Uzui-sama…_

The flamboyant man had used a similar razor, but that was all that was to be similar between the two.

Uzui was firm but patient and although volatile and intense when angry, he did not radiate the same atmosphere of danger and poison that Muzan did.

Neither did he possess that wicked smirk nor threaten to cut his dick off 'by accident' if he chose to struggle or misbehave during the process.

And what made everything a bit more disconcerting was that the type of razor Muzan was intending to use was one of those fairly new double-edged metal ones that had the interchangeable blades which were so sharp that they could bleed a person if they were not careful.

Yes. Muzan's threat of him losing a certain body part was very real.

_I can regenerate now,_ Tanjirou reminded himself, but like with all Muzan's threats or potential tortures, it was not merely the pain of the act that frightened him but the psychological impact that did the most damage.

Sure, his dick would possibly regenerate almost instantly, but a shiver went through his body at the thought of how many cuts it would take and how quickly Muzan would execute those cuts with a razor of that size in order to sever his penis.

"…" He gulped, feeling the bitter nausea rise up in his throat.

_He's nothing like Uzui-sama; he will hurt me…_ Tanjirou thought, and it was at that point that his last experience with someone shaving him returned to his mind.

.

o0o0o0o0o0o

**N.B.:** An Undisclosed number of months earlier; **Location: **Yoshiwara Red Light District, Japan.

In the Entertainment District where demons, both human and non-human resided, Tanjirou had gotten his first taste of many things.

One of those was learning how difficult it was for a boy his age to open himself up to the requirements of this particular mission.

It was all interesting to say the least.

Zenitsu and Inosuke in particular, discovered that for one thing, Uzui Tengen was not a man to be disrespected, for as soon as they did, they ended up knocked out and lying across the floor of the Slayer safe house in the District.

Then, as soon as they regained consciousness, they found themselves in receipt of a stern look as he explained to them that they would have to submit to being dressed in female-designated fashion in order to go undercover.

And at the vaguest hint of their intention to object, Uzui reminded them that he had a rather heated temper with the way he made sure to give the three boys a clear indication of where he stood with respect to their objections.

.

_"…__after all, you three interrupted my plan to take those girls from the Butterfly Mansion on this mission. I'm assuming that means that you think you can make good female substitutes…!"_ The man had darn near shouted this at them. _"You become a dog if I want you to! You become a monkey if I want you to…! So show me that you're going to go all the way in passing yourselves off as capable substitutes. Either that, or it's no deal!"_

_._

Things had taken a rather intense turn, but that was merely the beginning.

Uzui was clearly upset as he roared his intentions at them, but then, just like that, all that anger was gone and he had given them a disconcertingly calm look.

.

_"__I know that this must be a new experience for you, but if you are to work with me, you need to go the extra mile."_

_"__A ninja sees no lines. We surpass it, doing whatever is necessary to complete our mission."_

_"__The same goes for you."_

_"__Makeup and kimonos are not enough. We have to do this extravagantly."_

_"__You're going to have to get naked now. I will be shaving you myself."_

_._

As the details of their undercover assignment were explained to them, Inosuke and Zenitsu appeared as though they were confused as to whether they were awake and sitting in the safe house or dreaming in the void of unconsciousness following their little spat with the Pillar.[3]

And as they realized that it was no dream, a feeling that they had embarked on a mission wherein they would get much more than they had bargained for surrounded them.

Zenitsu was the one to voice their thoughts and the first thing he had shouted was whether Uzui was getting back at them for what had been done before or if the Pillar had gone insane.

.

_. _

_"__W-what is this? Punishment for me doubting you had wives? For us stopping you from taking those girls?"_

_._

When Uzui ignored him, Zenitsu had completely lost his temper.

_"__This is crazy, you bastard! Are you mad? Are you missing a screw?"_

_._

Uzui still did not bother to give the stunned boy a response and in the few tense minutes of silence that followed, the anxiety shared by the three young Hunters at what they had to do only grew as they exchanged deeply disturbed looks.

_._

_"…__become girls…"_

_"…__be shaved…"_

_._

"Where…are you going to shave…?" Zenitsu asked in a quieter tone and as this question also failed to get an answer from the silent man, he looked to Tanjirou who was frowning slightly.

This was getting rather awkward. There were only two places on their bodies where they had a lot of visible hair that could be shaved off…

_._

_"…__shaving…"_

_"…__you're going to go all the way in passing yourselves off as capable substitutes…"_

_._

"What is shaving?" Inosuke asked boldly, assuming that from the odd looks on Zenitsu's and Tanjirou's faces that they had heard of this act.

And he was right. Zenitsu had seen his gramps and even Kaigaku and some of the other older trainees shave their faces occasionally. Tanjirou vaguely recalled his dad doing it, but Inosuke—a proud product of the forests—had absolutely no idea what it was.

His friends did their best to explain it to him though.

.

.

.

_What…?_

_Why do we have to do this shaving thing?_

_Yellow Head says it's hair removal?_

_What even is that? Why would a Boar need to remove its precious coat?!_

_What kind of monster would allow such an unnatural thing?!_

His two friends were not doing a good job in trying to describe the process, as between Tanjirou's horrible explanations in trying to teach him what his father had taught him[4] and Zenitsu talking about a sharp blade cutting stuff off one's face, Inosuke was horrified.

_Why would a sharp blade be cutting into one's face?_

_Why is Uzui-sama just standing there all gloomy like a ghost while these plebs are talking about crude torture methods? _

_It must be true._

_They're plotting to remove my beautiful hide?_

He glanced to Tanjirou who continued trying his utmost best to explain something.

_'__Woosh', 'soap', 'slip', 'gone'? _

_What…?_

"Um…"

Tanjirou had stopped making sense a while ago.

His gaze went to Zenitsu who was watching Tanjirou and nodding.

"Yes, yes," the yellow-haired Slayer agreed and Inosuke wondered if he was actually understanding what Tanjirou was saying.

"…" Inosuke's confusion only mounted the longer his friends continued with their futile attempts to help and as the seconds ticked on, his fight or flight instinct grew—especially as one question remained big in his mind: Why did he have to get naked for the so-called 'shaving' process?

When he asked this aloud, Tanjirou and Zenitsu became silent.

"Wut…" Zenitsu appeared lost.

Tanjirou's expression was a mixture of contemplation and confusion. "Eh…well…"

They realized that they did not know either and between that and their explanations of this ghastly procedure, Inosuke had had enough and was yeeting himself out the window in the next minute.

If they wanted to stay and have their fur shaved off then that was none of his concern—he was out of there.

He did not make it to the ground though.

Uzui had grabbed, pulled him back in and proceeded to tie him to a chair to keep him from running away.

"There are three houses to infiltrate and I cannot afford to be one man short for this," the Pillar snarled.

"I will let no one mess this up…even if it's you three."

"There are things I've sworn to protect. Something you're too ignorant to comprehend."

"Umph…!" Inosuke tried to speak but the gag in his mouth made that an impossible feat so he settled for glaring up at the flamboyant man.

"Listen up," Uzui went on to say as soon as he had finished securing the recalcitrant forest boy. "I want you all to take this seriously. I will accept no less than your best."

He turned to the other two, fixing them with his intense gaze.

"Now let's not wait any longer. Let's get started. I've still got to do your makeup and hair…"

.

.

.

Zenitsu had been the easiest for the man to convince, as all Uzui needed to say was that going hairless made it easy to get a wife.

And who was Zenitsu to refute the words of a man who had not one, but _three_ wives? He had his doubts as to whether the man was telling the truth about his marriages, but he did not want to lose out on improving his chances of getting a girlfriend before he died.

He was in Uzui's room and naked in a heartbeat.

.

.

.

Convincing Tanjirou and Inosuke had been a much harder process.

Tanjirou was concerned and a bit reluctant, especially after seeing Inosuke get tied up and gagged.

Waiting outside while Zenitsu went in with the Pillar was a nerve-wracking time with Inosuke snarling and thumping in the chair next to him.

He had tried to calm him, saying that Uzui would never hurt them, but Inosuke was having none of his explanations, particularly when the one trying to calm him did not know what was going to happen either.

In the wild where he was from, blind faith led to death.

But then, thirty minutes later, Zenitsu emerged from the Pillar's room looking completely different.

He was wearing makeup, a big smile and dressed in his colourful Haori that had been belted with a pretty obi to look like a kimono. The change in his outfit accentuated his styled hair and the boy could not stop singing the praises of how great it was to be freshly hairless.

Inosuke and Tanjirou had exchanged puzzled looks.

What exactly had taken place in Uzui's room to have him looking so cheerful?

Wasn't he just raging mad and highly cautious?

Whatever it was, other than the gaudy makeup, he did not appear to have been hurt in any way.

"…" Tanjirou was the first of the duo to speak and badgered his friend with a host of questions. Zenitsu, blushing slightly and having the air of one who had just had the Great Adulthood ExperienceTM long before his unfortunate friends, explained in great detail what each of them would have to go through. He insisted that shaving one's body was not as bad as it appeared to be, but Inosuke remained cautious and unconvinced. He continued fuming even after Tanjirou went next and refused to go in on his own.

Ultimately, he had to be picked up—chair and all— and carried into the room. But as soon as his binds were loosened, he tried to run.

This resulted in the Pillar having to wrestle him to the ground.

Too intrigued to let Inosuke have any kind of privacy while he was stripped down, Tanjirou and Zenitsu had watched everything unfolding from the doorway of Uzui's room.

They learned three new things that day.

One: it was not good to fight someone stronger than you when you have to be shaved.

Two: Inosuke was surprisingly flexible to be shaved while held down in a complicated position.

And three: Uzui… Obviously, the man was determined to see his task through to the end. He definitely was not going to let a rambunctious boar-boy ruin his entire mission with his uncouth and non-fabulous appearance.

Not a chance.

Following this experience, along with a freshly shaved and disgruntled Inosuke who briefly had the muted and slightly defeated look of a lamb that had just experienced its first shearing, they had all agreed that they were going to do their very best with their undercover work.

It made no sense to go through something like that and then fail.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Regardless what you scream and cry about  
You will be immersed in the sadness of this cloudy world  
Cant go back spring of love  
The memories that are lost frozen into a snowstorm  
They wont go back, not a single thing

**\- Kimetsu no Yaiba 'from the edge' Fiction Junction / LISA**

* * *

My TWITTER brownsugarprod1

* * *

******Chapter Bonus?: ******See brownsugarprod1 for the images / extra notes that could not fit here

**Next Chapter Title: **Fighting a Losing Battle PT. II: Hopeless

**Next Chapter Teaser: **As the hopelessness becomes too much to tolerate, Tanjirou starts to sink further into a pit of depression. Why? Because I am a cruel Author…

****END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter:****

**It's me again, all alone in this author's note. Muzan's busy getting horny for Tanjirou.**

**-1** 'What exactly had taken place in Uzui's room to have him looking so cheerful?'

Author: WELL… If I had the artistic skill to make a doujinshi, I would gladly tell you—flamboyantly. It wasn't anything major though, but stuff did happen…

'…explained in great detail what each of them would have to go through'

Author: Of course he did not tell them about the **_bonus_** thing he got

Of course, if you don't ship this you can read it as though nothing happened between them because I wrote it as such but my shipper heart just loves the hate x hate relationship between him and Uzui when they first met and Zenitsu, like Tanjirou would make a very cute uke xD

b) Author: No…nothing happened between Uzui and the other two lol.

.

-**2 '**Tanjirou had stopped making sense a while ago.'

Author: Remember, Tanjirou sucks at giving explanations / teaching people about stuff. Lol

**.**

**-3 **Tanjirou is so cute

He was sitting so humbly after his friends were knocked out lol like that one kid that sees their siblings get punished and is trying extra hard not to suffer the same fate.

**.**

* * *

**REFERENCES**

[1] If you remember from Chapter 10; A Demon's Pride, the following excerpt '"Tanjirou," he said firmly, using the dominant tone of voice he was training the boy to recognize and obey as his 'Master is angry' voice' hinted at what Muzan has been doing to him, i.e. trying to control his behavior through subliminal cues.

[2] Remember, it was mentioned previously (Chapter 7: Unreasonable Feelings and an Incomprehension of Love) that Muzan was well-read in a variety of subjects, so he is quite familiar with the experimental process of manipulating a person's behaviour to one's liking. Tanjirou of course won't go down so easily and would still fight him, but it would be a veryyy hard fight as our little uke-to-be has a powerful mental will. Muzan knows that his only way to fight, other than mind-breaking him, is to implant subconscious control mechanisms to make him behave so this is what he did / is doing.

[3] Manga Chapter 71 when Uzui had knocked out Zenitsu and Inosuke

[4] Manga Chapter 51; Tanjirou sucks at teaching people


	12. Fighting a Losing Battle PT II

NOTES

Hello guys! Yay for another fast update. Almost didn't happen bc the last two days were a bit crazy.

So...my tiny little country just got its first two confirmed cases of the Covid-19 and we just know that there will be more to come as we recently (dumbly) held an international event where thousands of foreigners passed through our country and these cases are starting to pop up right after the specified incubation period :)

Getting home from work yesterday right after the national announcement felt like living inside of an armaggedon-esque movie. Buses were crowded. Supermarkets were crowded with anxious staff and last-minute shoppers. Every stranger who made eye contact with me had this odd look of understanding and thinly veiled fear. Then, like all end-of-the world movies, there was this lone boy in a dark, deserted park playing happily and unaware to the general panic unfolding.

And, as I walked to my taxi stand, a strange guy at the side of the road was yelling to all the people: "You're going to die! Die! You will die and no one will mourn your deaths! Your body will not even be buried because you are a sinner!"

Oh well... so I'm escaping from reality with Yaoi as usual.

I hope that you guys like this chapter. Right now I'm a little sick with my allergies acting up, my body hurts from trying to get my paltry supplies amidst the crazy panic shoppers and my body's also fighting off the onset of a flu that my inconsiderate coworker brought for the entire office. At this point idek if it's Corona or just life. I am taking all the precautions I can, but to all those from affected countries, please stay safe guys! I hope that I can at least make you smile with this update.

Anyways…So this is part two of the last chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Summary:**

As they clash, Muzan shows Tanjirou that he can now make him submit even without the use of his chains. And as the hopelessness of his forced submission closes around him like a thick, dark fog, Tanjirou starts to feel as though he is fighting a losing battle…

Will he ever be able to regain the hope that is being surreptitiously stolen away?

* * *

Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

_"Memory of a conversation."_

"… 🎵~": Humming a tune

**CHAPTER BONUS? YES! PAINTING AVAILABLE. SEE END NOTES**

* * *

And like a storm you can't

Control somethings in this world

Not everything can be protected

I already know that

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (AmaLee Ver.)_**

* * *

Chapter 12: Fighting a Losing Battle PT. II: Hopeless

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Present; **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

**"…" ****T**ANJIROU SMILED A BIT AT THE MEMORY, but then a frown quickly took its place.

Letting himself be shaved by an older male had been an odd situation to say the least. He had even struggled at times during the process due to the embarrassment, but overall, he had trusted Uzui.

Tanjirou was an honest boy, whose trust was easy to gain once someone was truthful and dedicated and the overall display of the Pillar's determination from the start of their mission to the announcement of their strange undercover task had helped to fuel his own determination.

But with Muzan, that was a different case altogether.

_Muzan…._

Tanjirou looked to the Demon King to see that his Master was patiently looking at him as though waiting for him to be comfortable enough to get started.

All of the killing intent he had been using to cajole him was gone and Muzan seemed calm and non-threatening, but while Tanjirou was honest and a bit simpleminded, he was no fool. He definitely did **_not_** trust him.

_Since when does this demon-jerk-bastard care about my comfort?_

_He's definitely planning something…!_

Sadly, the truth was that even if Tanjirou was sure that Muzan was up to something, there was not much that he could do. Too many things were against him.

Firstly, he was limited in acting up too much as he had to consider his plan of playing possum. Being too rebellious would make Muzan extremely guarded and he did not want to waste the opportunity that finally being unchained from the bed had granted him. He had to wait and find an opening to escape.

The second reason for not acting up was his own safety. If only he was to struggle or complain during the act, things would not end well between him, Muzan and that razor.

His gaze shifted to the silvertone razor in Muzan's grip.

_I can't take that thing lightly. _

_Uzui-sama told me all about the different types of razors. Only experienced people could use this design. _

_Muzan had been telling the truth—if I plan to make any trouble, I really could get seriously hurt._

Tanjirou pressed his legs tighter together and frowned at his captor. Mentally, the decision to go through with the process had already been made, but if he had to do this, he was not going to make it easy for him.

"Why do you want to shave me?!" He demanded, his voice laced with suspicion as he kept both hands over his groin to hide his private parts.

"I want you hairless~" Muzan replied smoothly, looking down at the way Tanjirou covered himself and squeezed his legs together as though the act had a good chance of saving his pubic hair. It was kind of…cute.

"Why?" Tanjirou pressed, with much irritation on his face. "I'm a boy! Shaving me doesn't matter…!"[1]

"What does gender have to do with it?" Muzan countered. "If your Master prefers that you be clean-shaven, then you will be that way~"

"But why? **_Why do you want me to be like that?!_** You're still not answering my question!" Tanjirou fumed. "You're just saying the same thing in a different way! Why are you being so suspicious?!"

"Do I have to have a reason?" Muzan answered in his typical dulcet tone, twirling the razor by its cylindrical handle.

"…" Tanjirou glared at him, but he knew that Muzan had the upper hand here. It was best to not fight him too much. Objecting a little was good so that Muzan would not get suspicious about his plan, but allowing his emotions to get the best of him would only end badly. Being too rebellious could make Muzan snap at any minute, and having seen Uzui wrestle Inosuke to the ground to be shaved made him not want to end up in such a situation with Muzan pinning him down.

Getting in a fight with a sadistic demon who was holding a sharp razor near his private parts would definitely not be a good idea…

"…" Resigning himself to his fate, Tanjirou moved his hands from hiding his groin and spread his legs again.

"Open them wider," Muzan instructed, pushing him down to lie back on the bed and slapping his inner thigh hard with the back of one hand.

[[SLAP]]

"Eh…!"

As Tanjirou yelped and spread his legs wider, Muzan grumbled, "You really are an unruly cat."

"The first thing to go is this horrible hairy patch you have down here."

Tanjirou wanted to argue that his bush was not **_that_** bad, but Muzan had made his statement in a tone that gave no room for an argument or discussion. So he stayed quiet, watching intently as Muzan cleaned him, then proceeded to prep and carefully shave away his wiry dark red pubic hair until most of the area was clean and smooth.

Contrary to his threat, Muzan did not shave it all off and Tanjirou watched as he was left with a neat, thin strip of trimmed hair leading from about an inch or two below his navel to his privates[2].

And all he did was watch. He did not dare move for fear that he might lose his dick as Muzan had threatened—a pain that Tanjirou remained unwilling to experience or endure.

_Ugh. _He frowned. Although he was as still as a log and as silent as a lamb all the while Muzan's head was positioned between his legs, it was incredibly awkward that the Demon King was giving that task such great focus.

From where he was lying back on the pillows, he could only see the top of Muzan's head—his Master's face was **_that _**close to his crotch.

He could even feel his cool breath tickling the fine hairs on his left thigh.

Something about seeing Muzan fully clothed and positioned like that between his naked thighs while he was nude and vulnerable, made the strange sensation in his lower belly coil tighter.

"…" Tanjirou closed his eyes and started to count to ten—his usual strategy for when things got too weird for him to bear while in Muzan's presence…

_One…two…three…_

Muzan huffed and the rush of hair against his skin caused his eyes to fly open with his sudden surprise.

"…?!"

_Ugh….!_

_What the heck?_

Tanjirou glared down at him angrily.

Muzan was obviously very meticulous about everything he did[3] and for this, he took his time, even spreading his buttocks and stretching the folds in the skin over and under his testicles to get every nook and cranny hairless.

_What…_

_Why…?_

It was such a painfully slow process that if Tanjirou could have died from embarrassment, he would have.

_Just hurry up already…!_

"…" Tanjirou's lips were a thin line of aggravation and humiliation. Never had he, in his entire life thought that his greatest enemy would one day get to know the most secret parts of his body this intimately.

_Not even Uzui-sama had been this focused about shaving me!_

With cheeks burning so hot with his blush that they itched, he looked at the opposite wall.

_So awkward._

Sitting up, then getting off the bed at last, Muzan went to the sink to wash the razor then returned to instruct, "Sit up and lift your arms."

Tanjirou frowned deeply, doing as he was told without a word, and Muzan leaned close to start shaving his armpits.

When that was done, the man scoffed, looking to him with a dissatisfied glare.

"That was terrible. Remember this, Tanjirou, as my pet I will be shaving and grooming you regularly—whether you like it or not," Muzan declared. "I don't understand why boys these days are unreasonably determined to be so rugged, with forests growing under their arms and in their crotch," he complained, going back to the sink to wash, dismount and put aside the razor. "It's so disgusting to the point that some humans aren't even worth eating."

"…" At that, Tanjirou almost laughed. If he recalled correctly from their encounter at the Dimensional Fortress[4], the corpses there had been partially eaten, mostly avoiding the midsection and underarms.

Was the reason for Muzan's bitterness owing to a bad experience of some sort? Did he have a situation a long time ago where he had gotten pubic hair stuck in his teeth during a meal or something?

_Serves him right._

Tanjirou's frown turned into a smirk as he silently wished that his Blood Demon Technique would turn out to be one that would allow him to instantly regrow thick, long, bushy hair in his armpits and groin.

Anything just to piss Muzan off and slowly drive him insane.

Maybe then, having been turned into a demon would actually have some value.

_Life would be worth living—_

"What's wrong with you?"

"Huh…" That voice cutting into his thoughts had Tanjirou looking over to Muzan to see that his Master was watching him.

"…~"

And that was when Tanjirou realized that Muzan was studying his smile.

"Hmph." Instead of responding, Tanjirou simply averted his gaze.

Muzan looked at his stubborn frown but made no comment—choosing instead to go back to his task.

Discarding the used rag into the basin of soapy water, he took a clean one and dipped it into the basin of clean water.

_Ah. _Tanjirou closed his eyes as Muzan's adept hands were traveling over his body again.

Dragging the damp rag over his skin to clean off the soapy residue and the coarse fallen hairs from when he was shaving him, Tanjirou had to set his face in a grimace in order to ignore the sinfully beautiful face that was a little too close to his.

The rag passed over his nipple.

_Ah…_

.

_"__I'm going to take it all,"_

.

With his response to Muzan's touch, that hot promise came to his mind, driving his entire being into a frenzied heat.

_Ahh…_

He remembered his Master rubbing under his chin and over his ear and the way those caresses had forced his body into submission and turned him into a hot, gasping mess.

.

_"__What a cute kitty__**[5]**__~"_

_"__So you like having your ears touched, hm__**[6]**__…? ~"_

.

Tanjirou bit into his bottom lip.

_I…_

With those thoughts circling repeatedly in his head, making him confused and hot, Tanjirou could hardly think straight.

_That…felt good…_he admitted grudgingly.

.

_"__I want it. Everything you can give me and more…__**[7]**__~"_

.

_But what does he mean by 'everything'? What does he want to 'take'? _

_._

_"__Tanjirou~"_

_._

_H-he looked like he was going to kiss me…Why would a guy want to do that? Why did he even put his tongue in my ear? Why did that feel good? Why—_

Tanjirou tried to stop his jumbled up thoughts but his efforts were futile.

His body was craving something unknown to him.

He could feel his heart racing again.

A heat was gathering in his lower belly—hotter and hotter than before.

He closed his eyes so that he would not have to look at Muzan, but the Demon King's alluring scent filled his nostrils with each breath he took.

"…" Tanjirou blushed. Muzan smelled masculine; like a being of power and desire.

_Ah. _He felt that by sitting this close to him, the dominating weight of his presence was too much and gritting his teeth, he fought the natural urge within his body to submit.

_Kuso…!_

_This body._

_I hate it._

_Why does it have to react like this to him?_

Tanjirou opened his eyes, but was careful to keep his gaze fixed on the opposite wall.

He did his best to tune out the intense awareness that made his cells hum with joy as they reacted to the proximity and caress of their Master.

_Don't think about it._

**_Don't_**_think about it._

The last thing Tanjirou wanted was to let his excitement show, so he clamoured for a distraction and soon the persistent misery that plagued him came to the forefront of his tired brain.

He allowed its dark dank depths to swallow him up, preferring to think about his grim reality than the dance of the Demon King's soft hands across his skin.

.

_"__Poor Tanji-kun~ Did you think that you were succeeding in your little plot to fool me by acting passive?"_

_"__No, not at all. You're acting this way because you're a submissive now. MY submissive and you naturally crave to obey me—your Master. You are a tool. Your body will always do as I say and you will only feel good when you're doing what I want you to do~"_

.

_Muzan…_

_He figured out what I was plotting so easily without reading my mind._

_Am I really as submissive as he said?_

_No. __**I**__ made up this plan to play possum and escape him! If I was submissive to him, I wouldn't have done that! He's just messing with my head…! He wants me to think that I've given up. He wants me to think that he's broken me…!_

_I was a proud Slayer—_

_No…no. W-why am I thinking about my job in the past tense?_

_Not 'was'! 'Am'!_

_I __**am **__a Slayer! I'm not a pet! I have to kill him…!_

_He hasn't broken me!_

_He hasn't…!_

_But…_

_But…_

_Tonight feels so different. No matter what I do…no matter how I try to encourage or distract myself, I can't stop having a bad feeling. Something serious is going to happen. _

_._

_"__Drink it, Tanjirou!"_

_"__Stop fighting me. I'm not going to let you die so easily…!"_

_._

Reflexively, Tanjirou swallowed as he recalled the terror of Muzan force-feeding him those nutrient broth dinners.

_Is that it?_

_Is he going to try force-feeding me blood?_

"…!"

_Wait._

_No…!_

He forcibly calmed his racing heart.

_No. No. no…stop overthinking this, Tanjirou. There's no smell of any humans around. The only blood is on him._

_If you think too much, he wins…_

_'__Wins'…_

_Wins…?_

_Maybe he's already won…_

Tanjirou's heart sank and his rising depression made it hard for him to motivate and lift himself out of that pit.

_I really have no more use for human food. _

Subconsciously, Tanjirou hated that his last meal as a human had to be the flavourless broth that he had ended up puking up during that day while locked in the throes of his transformation.

_I'm…hungry…_

_I want to be human again. I want… _He tried to picture his favorite foods, like the delicious noodles his mother used to make on special occasions or the flavour-rich Yamakake Udon he had bought during his first visit to the big city with his sister Nezuko, but those thoughts failed to impress him and only depressed him further.

_I… have no desire for human food. _Tanjirou frowned. _I'm hungry, but I'm craving something I've never tasted before…_

_And…_

[[Sniff]]

As the smell of the blood that clung to his Master continued to circle him, the night of his kidnapping was brought back to his mind, and as he thought of his comrades splayed like animals and bleeding out—

_Blood…_

[[Rumble]]

_No…!_

That night, against the smooth floorboards of the Fortress, their spilled blood was redder than a field of crimson lotuses and as thick as rice porridge—

[[Rumble]]

_No…!_

Tanjirou's eyes widened in shock.

_Did… __**W-why **__is my stomach…?_

_No._

[[Rumble]]

_No._

[[Rumble]]

_No…!_

The memory of his dead comrades that had once made him sick with rage and hungry with the urge to slaughter Muzan, was now making him hungry, and for Tanjirou, to have his stomach growling with need for something he believed was morally wrong to consume… this was the worst fate of all.

_Please…_

_Stop…_

He could no longer think of his fallen friends with the respect that they deserved.

_I'm disgusting. Unforgivable. I wish he had just let me starve to death as a human._

_Then, I wouldn't have to be enduring this right now…_

_He kept me alive long enough to make me suffer before carrying out his plan—_

"… 🎵~"

_What the hell… _Tanjirou frowned as Muzan started to hum the same jovial tune from before.[8]

Even his strokes while wiping down his body had become livelier.

_What is this jerk so happy about?!_

_Just…shut up…!_

His thoughts were heated but as he grimaced and shifted, the snug collar around his neck moved a bit and that reminded him of something he did not want to think of.

_._

_"Do you want to be punished?"_

_"Do you know what you're doing in resisting me?"_

.

[[Badum]]

And he was suddenly panicking a bit.

[[Badum]]

.

_"__We can do this the easy way, but if you keep resisting, it will be the hard way for you__**[9]**__."_

.

The moment Muzan was leaning over him in his dreams, encircling his small neck with his strong grip played over and over in his head.

[[Badum]]

[[Badum]]

_._

_"…__pet…"_

_._

The upturn of the demon's lips. His sneer. His burning glare. The solid pressure of fingers wanting to kill him…

Tightening…tightening—

_No!_

"… 🎵~"

[[Badum]]

[[Badum]]

"…" Tanjirou closed his eyes tighter and tried tune out the sound of Muzan's humming but that masculine baritone remained in his head like the backdrop for his poisonous thoughts.

.

_"__You are no longer a Demon Slayer, Kamado Tanjirou. You are my pet~"_

_._

_"… 🎵__~"_

_I can't be thinking of these things. Just ignore him._

_._

_"__Tanjirou. I am eager to see how you will serve me…"_

_._

_I am a Demon Slayer…!_

_I'm not a…pet!_

_Ignore him…ignore him!_

_._

_"… 🎵__~"_

_._

_"__Tanjirou…~"_

_._

_"… 🎵__~"_

_Ignore…!_

_._

_"__You are a tool. Your body will always do as I say and you will only feel good when you're doing what I want you to do__**[10]**__~"_

_._

_But…_

Tanjirou felt himself reaching the limits of his tolerance.

_He was right…_

_My body…_

_This body…_

_I hate this._

_Ugh. I hate him._

_And I hate that he was right._

_After everything I did…this body really is locked under his control. And no matter what I try, he always regains control._

_Why is everything so easy for him?_

_Why do I have to have such a hard time…?_

_I hate him…but I… _

He could barely stop himself from salivating.

.

_"__**You**__ did this to me! __**You**__ tricked me! __**You **__turned me into a monster__**[11]**__!"_

.

He could not stop craving the blood that clung to Muzan.

_._

_"…__monster!"_

_._

_I'm…a monster…_

Being near his Master raised the great hunger in him higher and higher, as opposed to making his nose burn from the foul smell that emanated from a demon who had eaten many humans.

_Didn't Muzan smell foul to me before?_

_Ah…_

_I've changed so much, _Tanjirou decided, as the recollection of the fight with the swamp demon plagued him.

.

_"__You guys stink like rotten oil! It's a foul smell! How many people have you killed?!" __**[12]**_

_._

_His scent…is so delightful now…_

_How can I hope to change my fate?_

_Will it ever change?_

_What if I escape and Tamayo's drug doesn't work for me?_

_Nezuko..._

An image of his sister, the one person he loved more than anything, came to his thoughts at that instant.

_Nezuko…did you conquer your demonization?_

_I wish I could see you now. Talk with you like we used to. _

_Sorry for leaving you behind._

_I'm sorry I couldn't beat Muzan and return to you like I promised._

_Nezuko..._

_It's so hard to be strong._

_I have control of my mind, but how will I get out of this situation?_

_How do I regain the control of a body that belongs to this madman?_

"Tanjirou~" Muzan said his name from where he was sitting next to him and Tanjirou was instantly alert, pulled out of the net of his suffusing thoughts as his gaze locked with his Master's.

"Lift your arms for me."

_Hm? ~ _Muzan's face was inches away from his own; close enough for him to reach up and touch. Close enough that it was increasing his already extremely bad mood.

"…" Tanjirou did not care to hide his grimace, but did as the older male asked, as he wanted to do the action on his own before his body automatically carried out the order.

He did not want to be reminded that he was basically a robot at this point.

Muzan took his behavior as a sign of his compliance.

"Nice," he whispered in his thick accent. "Good boy~"

Tanjirou shivered.

[[Badum]]

_What…?_

There it was again. The heat rising in his cheeks as Muzan cooed that praise close to his reddened ear.

_What kind of situation is this anyways? _Tanjirou thought angrily._ One minute he's choking me to death in my dreams and the next, he's cleaning and shaving my body so carefully?_

One would think that Tanjirou was somewhat used to being cleaned by Muzan by now, but this act remained a difficult and embarrassing process for him to bear.

Tonight, added to all that was troubling him was that the demon was displaying a type of meticulous habit and a somewhat gentle nature about this session.

It was as if he was being prepared for a major event[13].

_Ugh…_

The type of attention he was paying to him reminded Tanjirou of the dedication one would give to preparing meat to be cooked.

_Meat…_

"…" Subconsciously, his body shook with the fear that thought conjured and when Muzan looked at him questioningly, he averted his gaze angrily.

_And he hasn't said anything about our fight from that dream yet. It's like he's forgotten, but I know he hasn't! He said that he was coming to punish me but nothing has happened as yet…_

_What __**is**__ happening here?_

_He's definitely trying to make me panic. _

_Don't panic. Don't Panic. Don't..._

Covertly, Tanjirou stole a glance at Muzan's pensive face again. Thankfully, the Demon King was not looking his way but Tanjirou noticed that he appeared as though he was mentally going over some heinous plot in his mind.

"… 🎵~"

_Ah._

_Worry worked its way into his bones to seat itself almost as deeply as the fear and sadness already there._

_He's calm now because…he has a plan that he's very confident about…_Tanjirou concluded. _Either that, or it's just his crazy showing again._

_Whatever it is, this isn't good._

_Whatever it is that has him looking so confident is bad news for me because I can't make myself wake up when things get too intense._

_This is no dream._

_It's definitely a nightmare but I'm not asleep._

_I was planning to escape, but the truth is…that I can't escape._

_Is he __**this **__confident that my body will move as he wishes? That he can ruin any plan I have to escape?_

_How can I be confident too…? How do I even prepare myself for this, when I have no idea of what's coming?!_

_I'm stuck in this reality. _

_Stuck…_

_So…stuck…I'm trapped with him and I have no idea when his mood will change._

_Every time I fight him, he keeps adapting and evolving to challenge me._

_._

_"__This is all so frustrating. Every time I learn to do something new… I learn just how much more there is I don't know."__**[14]**_

_._

And as though that memory had brought back the grief and loss he had felt at that time when his mentor had died, Tanjirou's lips trembled with his misery while his body shuddered with its desire, ignorant of his mental turmoil.

That reaction only drove him deeper into the darkness of his depression.

_When will this end?_

_I'm so confused…_

_Over and over and over…nothing ever makes sense._

_Why…why…_

_Why is it that so much in my life is one obstacle after the next…?_

_I'm so tired of all this pain._

_I feel...like everything's hopeless…_

XXX

Regardless what you scream and cry about  
You will be immersed in the sadness of this cloudy world  
Cant go back spring of love  
The memories that are lost frozen into a snowstorm  
They wont go back, not a single thing

**\- Kimetsu no Yaiba 'from the edge' Fiction Junction / LISA**

* * *

My TWITTER brownsugarprod1

* * *

******Chapter Bonus?: ******Please see my twitter for the art bonus I did

* * *

**Next Chapter Title: **Stolen Hopes

**Next Chapter Teaser: **

Tanjirou is trapped in a pit of depression but is forced out of it and finally made to aware of his one major weakness that Muzan plans to use against him. He struggles hard; unable to believe that this is the fate that he's about to meet, but it's clear who is in control here and who will be guiding him to the end that has been mapped out for him.

****END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter:****

**It's me again, sick and all alone in this author's note. Yeah, my good friend, Muzan, is too busy getting all hot and horny for Tanjirou to bother with showing up in this section.**

**-1** ** '**_I wish he had just let me starve to death as a human'_

_'_his comrades splayed like animals and bleeding out'

**'**And as though that memory had brought back the grief and lost he had felt at that time when his mentor had died, Tanjirou's lips trembled.'

Author: Awww poor bby trying to motivate himself but everything's against him… He's in a bit of a dark place right now. Well hello there, angst tag. But we've got to get used to it, this is merely the start of a LOT of this kind of angsty stuff in this story.

**-2 **'There it was again. The heat rising in his cheeks as Muzan cooed that praise close to his reddened ear.'

Author: Oooh…looks like someone's got a praise kink ;)

**-3 **"… 🎵~" Muzan is legit humming happily like those too-calm serial killers and poor Tanjirou is TRIGGERED

**-4** '_I'm so tired of all this pain.' _**'**_I feel...like everything's hopeless…'_

Author: If he's this depressed now, just wait till he finds out about Muzan's heinous plot

Author: But... Don't give up, Tanjirou! There's still hope! Maybe :)

* * *

**REFERENCES / FOOTNOTES:**

[1] '"I'm a boy! Shaving me doesn't matter…!"' Tanjirou is saying this because he remembers that the reason Uzui had shaved him and his friends was so that they could pass themselves off as girls.

[2] _'__a neat thin strip of trimmed hair leading from an inch or two below his navel to his privates'_ Muzan gave him a "Landing Strip" / "Happy Trail" lol

[3] _'__Muzan was obviously very meticulous about everything he did'_ Stop hating, Tanjirou. A man who is 'very meticulous' is excellent Daddy material. He'd ensure that you're well pleasured x'D

[4] I know Tanjirou had seen the bodies of Muzan's victims after he lost his eye and all that, but remember in the Prologue where Nakime had been orienting the Fortress to get them out? While the rooms had been swapping, Tanjirou had seen the one where Muzan had slaughtered all the Slayers.

[5] Chapter 10; A Demon's Pride

[6] Chapter 9; Cat

[7] Chapter 9; Cat

[8] _'__Tanjirou frowned as Muzan started to hum the same jovial tune from before__ ' _Muzan was humming this upbeat song in the chapter before the last . Hey…the guy's happy—he thinks he's gonna get laid *SHRUG* ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

[9] Chapter 4; The Master and His Pet

[10] Chapter 9; Cat

[11] Chapter 10; A Demon's Pride

[12] Manga Chapter 12

[13] '_It was like he was being prepared for a major event.'_ Hmmmm… ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[14] Manga Chapter 66 when Rengoku had died and Tanjirou was feeling miserable. He was learning, growing and winning battles, yet things kept happening beyond his control to show him how weak he still was. Just the same how here with Muzan, he was winning and enduring so much in their tug-o-war, yet he's having this overpowering sense of failure and uncertainty.

* * *

**A SPECIAL NOTE:**

**REN : T**hank you for saying such kind things to me. You've made me so happy. Brought some tears to my eyes when you said that my story is helping you so much in the midst of this crisis. Because that is all I've ever wanted; to make people smile with what I do. Thanks too for reading my HisoGon fic as well, you are such a darling.

Hehe to answer your question, no, Tanjirou doesn't even realize that he sometimes thinks about Muzan as 'Master' and not 'Muzan'! That's the mind conditioning working on him :'( poor bby

Thank you for your interest, support and lovely words. I sincerely wish you the best in everything that you do. Please keep doing your best. You will definitely finish college, do not let the darkness of others and their mean insecurities consume you. It is a long and difficult road, but you will get there. I believe in you. Stay strong and continue being the wonderful soul that you are.


	13. Stolen Hopes Part I: Subdued…

NOTES:

Hello all! So of course, since the last time we convened here, the number of Covid-19 cases where I live has risen by leaps and bounds. I'm self-quarantining though. Haven't left my house in almost 2 weeks and my routine is the same as always: write from 4am in the morning till…whenever I pass out lol. Except now, I can draw more often as my day job is requiring me to work remotely. It's a lot of work to balance all of this but I manage. Writing and drawing is how I cope with reality I guess. Being an introvert / loner is great because while everyone complains about going crazy under this quarantine and how they're under house arrest, it's just another day for me.

Anyways, this update was late because it's huge af and editing it was crazy. Plus, I was finishing the drawing for it. But you get a treat! I'm updating with two chapters, plus the new art!

I'm wishing you guys all the best. These chapters are a little depressing from Tanjirou's POV, but I hope you like it and if you feel like leaving a comment, go right ahead to let me know your thoughts. Stay strong in these difficult times, okay?

P.S.: Russian translation of this story is now available due to anthemOftheangels' hard work and kind offer to translate this. If you are Russian and have a hard time reading this version, check it out. I put the link on my Twitter (since links cannot fit here)!

* * *

**Chapter Summary:**

PART I & II SUMMARY. Tanjirou is trapped in a pit of depression but is forced out of it as he finally figures out Muzan's plot for him and is made aware of his one major weakness that his Master plans to use against him. He struggles hard; unable to believe that this is the fate that he's about to meet, but it's clear who is in control here and who will be guiding him to the end that has been mapped out for him.

* * *

Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

.

_"Memory of a conversation."_

.

"Heh." or _Heh_: A laugh

**_'_****_Muzan speaking to Tanjirou telepathically' _**

* * *

_...I want to fight._

_...,...,...___...,...,..._____...,...,..._______...,...,..._________...,...,...____I can still…fight._

__...,...,..._____...,...,..._______...,...,..._________...,...______..But…_

* * *

Cut away the despair

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

* * *

Chapter 13: Stolen Hopes Part I: Subdued…

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Present; **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

**M**ISERY, DEPRESSION, NAUSEA. TANJIROU'S STOMACH twisted with the burn of his raging thoughts. The thoughts that he had been trying to use to distract himself from Muzan's presence had become disjointed reminders of his weaknesses, forcing him to analyze everything more intensely.

He was no longer angry and reproachful, but just sick.

He was sick of the state of helplessness that Muzan had put him in to the point that he was becoming physically ill.

_Why was I born if I can't protect what's important to me?_

He was sick of his situation, sick of everything, and sick of himself.

_Why can't I just disappear…?_

The sensation he was feeling was akin to being suspended in a dark pool of nothing but pain.

_If I was dead, I'd be with my family and not with him._

His sole wish at that moment was to die, yet, in the darkness of his depression, there was something that kept egging at his consciousness, reminding Tanjirou that there were things to be grateful for. A reason to keep going on.

But as he did not desire to care anymore, his mind was in a purely negative state; one that was so darkened by his desperation that Muzan's actions, the things that had confused him greatly before, were slowly starting to make sense to him, bit by bit.

Like the reason why he was fed only light broth instead of a heavier meal when he did get food at the end of each starvation torture session.

Over the past few weeks, Muzan had been sure that he would have accepted his proposition eventually, and was merely feeding him the bare minimum to keep him alive.

And thinking of how he had tossed and turned that day wishing for death, now he understood that for him, death would be a luxury.

_I…can't die._

_Even death he refuses to give me._

Muzan had no intention of killing him. The revenge he was planning was greater than that.

_His revenge is definitely connected to the reason for removing my chains. He could have kept me chained to the bed to be cleaned and shaved._

_Muzan doesn't want to kill me yet, but he also doesn't want to let me go._

_And by removing my chains, he's showing me that he can still control me as he wants even without the physical bonds._

_._

_ "__Tanjirou-kun,"_ Muzan had said to him on the night of his kidnapping, when Tanjirou had woken up to find himself in a state of undress and tied to a bed. _"You are no longer a Demon Hunter. You are property—__**my **_property_. You are no longer a human. You are a pet…__**my**__ pet."_

_ "__Pets wear collars. They exist for their Masters' leisure. They walk at his side and sit at his feet."_

_ "__I will teach you to love my domination and control. I will teach you to love being called my pet~"_

_._

_He controls me now… _Tanjirou's thoughts were in a haze as that memory spun around in his head, _Master owns me…_

_Master controls me…_

_Controls…_

_._

_"__I can't tell you!"_

_._

Another memory broke through his mind and Tanjirou felt his nausea return as his encounter with the Swamp Demon came back to him.

The demon had been deathly afraid of saying Muzan's name because he had been compelled to obey the Demon King's orders.

_._

_"__I can't tell you!"_

_._

_Fear._

_._

_"__I can't tell you!"_

_._

_Panic._

_._

_"__I can't tell you! I can't tell you!"_

_"__I can't tell you!"_

_._

_He was shaking so much…_

_._

_._

_"__I can't tell youuuuu!"_

_._

_I … _Tanjirou looked down at his hands that lay limply in his naked lap, _I… am the same?_

His eyes became blurry with unshed tears.

These were his hands.

They now sported dark red nails, but they were his.

They were the hands that held his sword with an unyielding grip. The hands that used to fight. The calloused hands that carried buckets of heavy coal for most of his life and struggled to help raise his family.

_Ah…._

_Ah…_

_I'm so hopeless._

_This is so hopeless…_

Inside, he was all torn up. Looking down at the broken shackles around his wrists made his heart break over and over again in a chain of endless misery.

The tears he could not shed outwardly were building up inside him, to the point that Tanjirou felt that he was drowning.

His gaze focused on the remnants of the bonds that had chained him for a month as though seeing them for the first time.

His hands… The hands that had fought to get compensation in the form of Muzan's death for taking his family away from him, were wearing Muzan's silver cuffs.

Captured.

Chained.

Subdued.

_Just like that Swamp dude…The same was done to me. _

Tanjirou finally accepted the fact that he bore Muzan's mark of ownership not only physically, but that this mark was slowly starting to affect him mentally as well.

_That was why he was so confident about removing the chains. That is why I could not break the chains with my demon strength. He can manipulate how much strength I have…_

_He can subconsciously order my body to behave the way he wants it to._

_I am under his control and Master is about to punish me__**[1]**__._

_But… I'm… I'm….—_the words were still hard for him to say—_I'm a demon now. If I can regenerate, does that mean his torture methods will worsen? Is that another reason why he unchained me? To carry out some other kind of cruel torture?_

Tanjirou had heard many stories of how captives during the last war were treated. How those who had refused to abide by their enemy's demands, achieved nothing other than tortures that increased in severity over time.

For those that the enemy did not kill, their tortures were repeated in a nightmarish fashion; over and over, for as long as possible, until their mind was completely lost.

Surely, this was Muzan's overarching plot.

_And his tortures have been increasing in severity too._

From simply using humiliation by leaving him naked and tied up, Muzan had moved on to physically hurting him. He would slap him, burn him with hot wax, puncture his skin with needles and cut into him with a blade.

The latest thing Muzan had tried was to mentally stress him with the fake promise of allowing his friends to live on untouched and safe and then, after leaving him to endure the many hours of bone-breaking pain that it took for his transformation to be completed, he had entered his dreams to torment him earlier that day—twice.

In the past twenty-four hours, he had seen Muzan more often than he usually did in a regular week as a prisoner in his mansion.

For some reason unknown to Tanjirou, the Demon King had suddenly become rather obsessive in wanting to mark him.

_How worse could my tortures get than that? _Tanjirou thought absently.

"...?" In a flash, as though conjuring a response to that thought, he reluctantly imagined Muzan as a vicious sadist holding a bloody cleaver-like blade while smiling kindly at him. His heart raced.

_Would he start tonight's torture by cutting off my body parts? A-and delight in watching them grow back?_

_Would he then make a game out of it by cutting me up just to see how long it would take me to regenerate each body part?_

_Or worse yet…would he feed me my own body parts?__**[2]**_

Tanjirou's nausea worsened, but he had to admit that this was as close to figuring out Muzan's motives as he would ever get.

There was only one sensible reason why Muzan would keep him for weeks and torture him regularly.

He was intending to keep worsening the tortures until…

_I think…he plans to cause enough pain to drive me crazy. _

_He plans to break my mind…?_

In that instant, as though sensing the height of Tanjirou's misery, Muzan tipped up his chin and smiled.

**_'_****_Good…very good…' _**He praised on seeing Tanjirou's lost expression and sad eyes. **_'Finally _****_figured out how hopeless your situation is?_****_ Hm?~'_** Muzan guessed this, judging his captive's thoughts from the look on his face. '**_I like how sharp you are~'_**

**_'_****_The truth is that ever since I brought you here, I knew that I'd get you to convert.' _**He looked into Tanjirou's pretty eyes while caressing the side of his face and smiled. The insufferable hate that used to be there was just a detached gaze now. **_'Oh my little sub, don't worry. As always, I'll take good care of your body. I can hardly wait to show you your fate for tonight's torture session.'_**

**_'_****_Remember, Little One, I never lose~'_**

"…" Tanjirou remained silent. He did not even have the compunction to be thoroughly humiliated by his current state anymore or frightened by Muzan's cryptic promise aimed at intensifying the psychological aspect of his torture. He merely felt a dullness in his ever-present anger and a weird sort of detachment from his reality.

_So it's true, _he thought as Muzan started to clean his face with a new soapy rag,_ He knew that I would have become a demon…_

_He didn't have a doubt that I'd walk right into his trap._

_And now things are going to get much worse._

He kept his eyes averted from the Demon King's stare that had once again become a bit too uncomfortable to bear.

And it was then, as he was losing the last of his hope, that an unexpected memory speared through him.

_._

_"Stand tall and be proud. No matter how weak or unworthy you feel…keep your heart burning, grit your teeth and move forward."__**[3]**_

_. _

_"Don't dwell on such weak thoughts! You can or you can't! It doesn't do you any good to sit there wondering about the maybes!"__**[4]**_

_._

_Rengoku-san… Inosuke…_

_I miss them…_

_A deep pain seeded itself in his heart but he pushed it away with the little mental strength he had left._

_Rengoku-san…he's right. I can't allow myself to be thrown down by this._

_And Inosuke too. Thank you for always showing me the way forward when I need it the most. It's hard to stay positive, but I shouldn't be dwelling on negative thoughts._

_I feel terrible, but I have to move forward. There is always something to be grateful for._

_And right now, Muzan can talk to me with that weird as heck mind connection we share, but it seems like he can't read my thoughts._

_Otherwise, I'd be dead already with the kind of things I've been thinking about him…_

Tanjirou was very grateful for this, as he was aware that a seamless mind-mind connection with Muzan would make it impossible to plan an escape.

_I don't think that he was able to read Nezuko and Miss Tamayo's mind either._

_In their case it was probably a combination of resisting him and distance._

_But in my situation…?_

_Ah I don't know!_

_I'm tired…_

_I can't think of anything…!_

_ But if I can keep resisting him, even though I failed to ward off his demonic influence, can I escape him soon…?_

Tanjirou realized that if Muzan had considered his inability to read his mind a negative one, that he must be saving it to be dealt with at another time.

_Either that, or his mind-breaking plot for ___tonight _would enable him to finally gain complete control._

_I have to be careful._

Tanjirou tried to steel himself for the unknown fight that was dawning. This was Muzan, the one to not accept defeat easily. The one who had already made it clear how vast the difference in their strength was.

_He said it himself._

_This plot to—_

Tanjirou's fogged brain was suddenly wary when Muzan got off the bed, pushed the table with the washbasins aside, then pulled him up by his arms so that he was standing in front of him with his back to the bedside_. _

_"_Ah…!" Tanjirou gasped. It was the first time he was standing in one month and his legs were a bit wobbly. "…?"

The other, though, caught him before he fell, holding him with a steady hand on his shoulder and another on the middle of his back.

Tanjirou immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Muzan had never taken him off the bed before. Normally, he would re-tie his robe or dress him in a new one after cleaning him up.

_Why am I still naked…?_

Tanjirou did not look at the master demon before him, but as soon as he gathered his bearings, the hand on his shoulder dragged eloquently across to meet and caress his collarbone, before journeying slowly up his neck.

By the time that hand was gripping his chin and angling it so that he was looking up, Tanjirou was barely able to keep his body from quavering with its lust.

Muzan's touch was like fire.

"You look a lot better now. See? Letting your Master bathe you isn't so bad when you behave," Muzan stated, releasing Tanjirou's chin and moving to finger comb his wayward hair back into place. "Your hair can go into a short ponytail now. It's getting long…" He tilted his head to one side as he studied his face and the hair ends that brushed his bare shoulders "…but instead of cutting it, I think I'll leave it like this. Maybe trim the split ends soon."

"…" Tanjirou gave him a glare in response to that declaration.

_What the hell does he think I am? A doll? He sure is making a lot of decisions about me._

_Don't I have an opinion about how I want to look?!_

_Jerk._

"…~" A few seconds passed as Muzan simply stared at him wordlessly.

"Hm… It would be nice to see what you'll look like when it gets longer~" he mused. "But honestly, you'll be handsome with any hair length~"

[[Badum]]

"…?!" Tanjirou tried to fight back his blush. Did Muzan just refer to him as 'handsome'?

_I'm feeling awkward again…_

_Ah…why do I care about what he thinks? ?_

_"_Tonight's going to be a very special night for you, Tanji-kun~" Muzan cooed. "You're going to get a lot of new experiences that you might end up liking a whole lot…~"

"Um…" Tanjirou frowned, _**very **_sure that he would _**not **_be liking any of the 'experiences' his Master intended to give him—regardless of what they were to be.

"…~" Muzan smiled at his reproachful sub.

.

_"I am in awe."_

_._

He recalled his words to him from the night before.

_._

_"Humans are such frail creatures...But to think that you would keep your opposition this strong and proud for an entire month...This is quite interesting."_

_._

Standing before him and obviously trembling with a mixture of lust and fear, Tanjirou was no longer the mentally strong but physically weak, exhausted and aggrieved human that he was just twenty-four hours earlier. His body was stronger and even more fit than before. He was no longer suffering from starvation, locked in an advanced state of dehydration, or about to die.

His Master had given him a new purpose and existence. All Tanjirou needed to do now was to adapt to using his new body and accept that he was a demon with a strong will that could be used for his Master's benefit.

_I __**will **__break you, Tanjirou._

_I will make that stubborn nature of yours mine._

_._

_"And in all that time...You've never spoken or made a sound regardless of what I do to your body..."__**[5]**_

_._

_Not tonight, Tanji-kun… You've finally reached your end. You will definitely have to react to what I have for you._

_Ah. How loud would your screams be tonight?_

_Would you cry until you pass out?_

_Oh…Heh~_

xxx

* * *

My TWITTER brownsugarprod1

* * *

**Next Chapter Title: ****Stolen Hopes Part II: Your Greatest Weakness…**

****END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter:****

**Howdy.**

**-1 **_'Why am I still naked…?'_

Author: Do you…really want to know the answer to that question, Tanji-kun?

**-2 '**_"__Tonight's going to be a very special night for you, Tanji-kun~" Muzan cooed.'_

Author: Yeah…the night he literally loses his mind…

**-2 **_'__Don't I have an opinion about how I want to look?!'_

Author: Nope.

**-2 **_'__They were the hands that held his sword with an unyielding grip. The hands that used to fight. The calloused hands that carried buckets of heavy coal for most of his life and struggled to help raise his family._

_Inside, he was all torn up. Looking down at the broken shackles around his wrists made his heart break over and over again in a chain of endless misery._

_The tears he could not shed outwardly were building up inside him, to the point that Tanjirou felt that he was drowning.'_

Author: Baby boy…! No…! Don't cry…

Author: Ugh. I need a doctor for my broken heart. I went and made myself sad.

* * *

**REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES:**

[1] '_I am under his control and Master is about to punish me.'_ Author: no, Tanjirou does not realize that there are moments when he refers to Muzan as "Master" in his thoughts.

[2] _Or worse yet…would he feed me my own body parts? _Author: Tanjirou does not realize that Muzan had actually considered this same punishment as his torture for tonight (Chapter 5; The Fallen)

[3] Manga chapter 66

[4] Manga chapter 66

[5] _"And in all that time...You've never spoken or made a sound regardless of what I do to your body" _ Author: Muzan said this to him the night before, in chapter one; Kidnapping and Trickery

* * *

**A SPECIAL NOTE (Contains spoilers for Manga 198 + 199 in the second reply):**

**REN : T**hanks! I'm doing well, just a bit anxious but I'm doing my best to stay safe. I hope that you are too!

Yep! Tanjirou is trapped with a hot, sexy Demon Lord who wants him wholly and solely hahahahahaha. It's his fault for being so persistent in chasing after Muzan! Didnt he think that Muzan would one day turn around and take notice of him? Lmao. He expected that he'd just chase him and Muzan would keep running. But oh no...not in Ruination! Muzan looks back and is like 'why is this boy always running after me?' and then stuff happens xD

Thanks for your wonderful comments about my writing! I'm glad that the last chapter felt so suspenseful! I aim to please! This week you guys get two chapters, so enjoy!

**GUEST:** **O**hoho! Yes! Chapter 198 had me at the edge of my seat! Voreeeeeee xD LOL Tanji-kun almost became a cute, delicious meal.

Chapter 198 was like attempted but blocked vore. And then Tanjirou was like, 'no one is going to stop me from getting vored this time!' and Chapter 199 was like consensual vore ahahahahaha

And ohhhhhh yes! Muzan's sexy accent is Tanjirou's undoing! Thanks for thinking that his accent is a great headcanon! Just wait till you read about my headcanon for the mouths on his body and his d*ck! I'm especially proud of that xDD And oh my, be careful what you wish for in wanting Muzan's sadism to shine soon! I made Muzan go wild in this story...so...


	14. Stolen Hopes Part II: Your Weakness

NOTES:

Part II of the chapter

(P.S.: Russian translation of this story is now available due to anthemOftheangels' hard work and kind offer to translate this. If you are Russian and have a hard time reading this version, check it out. I put the link on my Twitter (since links cannot fit here) under the update announcement banner!)

* * *

**Chapter Summary**:

PART I & II SUMMARY. Tanjirou is trapped in a pit of depression but is forced out of it as he finally figures out Muzan's plot for him and is made aware of his one major weakness that his Master plans to use against him. He struggles hard; unable to believe that this is the fate that he's about to meet, but it's clear who is in control here and who will be guiding him to the end that has been mapped out for him.

* * *

Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

.

_"Memory of a conversation."_

.

"Heh." or _Heh_: A laugh

**_'_****_Muzan speaking to Tanjirou telepathically' _**

**_**CHAPTER BONUS? YES! PAINTING AVAILABLE. SEE END NOTES**_**

* * *

_...I want to fight._

_...,...,...___...,...,..._____...,...,..._______...,...,..._________...,...,...____I can still…fight._

__...,...,..._____...,...,..._______...,...,..._________...,...______..But…_

* * *

Cut away the despair

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

* * *

Chapter 14: Stolen Hopes Part II: Your Greatest Weakness…

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Present; **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

**M**UZAN CHUCKLED UNDER HIS BREATH as his excitement climbed higher and the fingertips pressed to the middle of Tanjirou's back absently traced the pronounced bumps on his spine.

_Ah~_

"Oh but first…" he muttered. "Let's take a look at you back here." Muzan's hand slid lower down and across his back to hold Tanjirou's naked waist as he turned him around.

Tanjirou felt him touch a part of him that did not really feel like a part of him and with curiosity underlining his features, he looked back and down.

"What the…"

Behind him, just as Muzan had stated earlier, was a…tail?

As though possessing a life of its own, it was swishing avidly from side to side in his Master's grip.

It was smooth, hairless, long and coloured in a gradient of dark red and butterscotch and ended with a triple heart at the tip.

With the solid look of his 'tail', its faint gold shimmer, soft 'spikes' along the top and strange, yet attractive gradient, Tanjirou was reminded of an old painting of a Chinese water dragon his dad had brought home one day.

He was keeping it for a friend, so for a short time it was hung on the west wall of their humble home. Back then, Tanjirou was just a small child, but the glitter of the dragon's scales and the beauty of its tail mesmerized him so much, that he would spend hours standing in front of that painting watching it.

_Oh._

When Muzan had told him he had a demon's tail, did he mean a tail that looked similar to a Water Dragon's?

And why did he even grow a tail? Because he had been admiring the painting his dad had brought, or because his main designation as a Slayer was the Breath of Water Style?

_What the heck is happening here?_

He had the ears of a cat, the tail of a dragon and the horns of a…what…?

_Wait._

Tanjirou could not remember the old painting too clearly, but most dragons had horns, didn't they?

What was he? A cat demon or a dragon demon cat or—

"…" His brain was becoming too overwhelmed. "The heck…"

"Don't look so disgruntled by your appearance," Muzan warned as he bent to Tanjirou's height. "You're a demon. Remember who you were and accept who you are now, Mr. _**former **_Breath of Water Demon Slayer." His voice was ripe with cruel mockery. "After your conversion today you have fallen further into the abyss of fully becoming my possession…"

He pulled off the cloth bandage that was wrapped around Tanjirou's head, as there was no more need for it. "There is a lot I want to do to you, but I'll tell you about that when we get _**started**__~"_

"...! !" Tanjirou's heart skipped a beat as Muzan released his tail and ran a finger from its base all the way up his spine.

His skin tingled with that touch.

He almost moaned.

"This is nice," the Demon King mumbled absently and with as much emotion as one would garner to comment on the weather. It was unclear what he could possibly be feeling for Tanjirou in that moment, as he was good at hiding his emotions behind an impenetrable blank mask. "On your spine, there are red diamond-shaped tattoos before your tail starts down here[1]~"

As Muzan touched him to give direction to his description while speaking, Tanjirou remained mum. The tension between them was multiplying with every second and the cold sweat that had been starting to break out on his forehead from trying his best to not visibly react to his Master's touch became more profuse.

"Other than your obvious demonic features," Muzan drawled, "The rest of you seems to have remained more or less human-like~"

Tanjirou swallowed. Standing powerless and naked before a murderous demon made him feel small and with the way he was being held close as those pink feral eyes were traveling over his body to study every part of him, his discomfort increased tenfold.

He felt as though something he had never experienced before, something involving forbidden desire and intense emotion, was going to happen, but with his vague understanding of this unknown area within his inexperience, Tanjirou could not grasp what that would be.

The only clue was that the smell emanating from the demon before him was very similar to what he had smelled constantly, back when he was working undercover in the Red Light District.

It was the same pronounced scent of anticipation and excitement that Muzan had been emitting for most of that evening, but now, as though he was no longer bothering to hide it there was another: lust.

"No…" Tanjirou mumbled. It was not hard for him to say this without knowing what Muzan intended to do with him.

He did not know what Muzan was lusting after or what his intentions involved doing to his body, but whatever it was that was about to happen, his instincts kept telling him that the bad situation he had been sensing was going to become a reality just as Muzan had promised—soon.

**_Very_** soon.

_Ah. _Tanjirou felt his heart shrivel and he started shaking his head as though attempting to rebuke what was coming.

In spite of his refusal and obvious discomfort, Muzan's gaze on him remained intense and the breath in Tanjirou's lungs stuttered.

To have such a magnitude of lustful anticipation directed at him was surely…

_This is dangerous—!_

Before he could think further, or shift away, Muzan's arm was looped possessively around his waist.

"What are you—?!"

"Tanjirou-kun~" Muzan called, tipping his chin up so that the boy's intense eyes with their unusual pink gradient were on him.

Tanjirou tried to look away but he gripped his chin harder.

"Look at me…" He commanded and as their gazes locked, Muzan stared into his eyes.

_They're so different from what I had anticipated~_

At first glance, the difference was not obvious and Tanjirou's eyes seemed to bear the same pink irises his did but instead of the one pair of vertical pupils that they could have possessed, his were white, slim diamonds edged with a dark purple border. Another pupil, magenta-toned, slimmer and horizontal in orientation, ran midway through the first white diamond one in each eye.

_Two pupils… Purple and white, with one bearing a two-toned coloration… _Muzan gazed at his eyes while Tanjirou glared at him without flinching.

Demons came in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes, but Muzan was aware that a demon should not have need for two active pupils in each eye.

_Is this the result of his incomplete transformation? ~_

_I will have to observe this closely._

"…" Tanjirou's frown deepened. Muzan had been staring into his eyes for a long moment now, but being as stubborn as he was, he was determined to not look away. If this was a new tactic to intimidate him, he would not lose.

"…~" In spite of Tanjirou's frowning and glaring, Muzan continued to study him—an observation that was beyond his control. Before Muzan had known what was happening, his simple inspection had morphed into him becoming entranced by Tanjirou's eyes, as though the boy was a siren whose lustful gaze was pulling him in, instead of a demonic hybrid who was staring at him with eyes of death.

Tanjirou had captivating eyes, and if one dared to look deeper into the enchanting depths of his irises, they would notice that these were composed of a medley of pink shades.

His eyes, made even more of a beauty by the fiery anger in them, were effortlessly the most striking Muzan had ever seen in all the years he had been alive.

Beautiful jewel-like eyes, a burning stare and attractive body. It was as though Tanjirou was a work of art. His work of art.

But whatever he was, one thing was clear; Tanjirou was his to do whatever he wanted to and what he wanted was to mark him.

The more he got to know him, was the more intrigued he became. And after reading through his mind a few hours earlier, seeing the various facets that made up his personality made Muzan want to mark him even more.

Tanjirou possessed an indomitable will and desire to grow stronger, a quality that continued to remind him of Akaza.

He had been beyond enraged when Akaza had conceded defeat and refused to grow stronger during that battle with Tanjirou and Giyuu. He had lost one of his best knights, but now the Universe had delivered another who bore similar qualities right into his hands. How ironic was it that the one who had helped to deliver Akaza to his grave would be the one earmarked to serve him in his stead?

And Muzan was determined to not make the same mistake that he had made with Akaza. He would keep Tanjirou close to him and make sure that he continued to improve. There was so much potential in Tanjirou, that Muzan realized that he could both achieve his revenge and acquire a powerful aide if only he could succeed in breaking him.

With the ruination of this boy, he would take away everything that he was, destroy and humiliate him completely, and from the remnants of his soul that were scattered about, he would rebuild him into what he wanted.

All of his attempts had failed so far, but Muzan knew what he had to do now.

For a boy who was well acquainted with suffering and had been through quite a lot in his life, all he had to do was to increase his suffering even more. All he had to do was to find his breaking point.

_And thanks to your memories, I have a pretty good idea what your breaking point is, Tanjirou._

_Now it's time to get started~_

"Hm…" Muzan smirked, preparing to ask the question he always did prior to their torture sessions. It was the one question that would give Tanjirou the option to defer the coming pain. "Tanjirou-kun~ what say you to my proposition? ~"

"No."

"But you haven't heard it as yet~" Muzan said in response to that swift answer. "My offer to you could be different this time~"

"It isn't! You're going to ask me to be your new Upper Moon!" Tanjirou replied, his voice rising slightly as he spoke. "I don't want to be **_your_** anything. I hate you! I don't want to be anywhere near you unless I'm taking your head off!"

"I _**hate** _you! !" Tanjirou's shout echoed through the bedroom. All of the frustrations he had been holding on to came forth in that moment, like the bursting of a damn, and although Muzan remained silent, simply holding him close and watching him, Tanjirou continued, "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, you demon-jerk-bastard!"

He was close to tears from the intense emotions swirling through him.

"I hate you so much it makes me sick! It disgusts me that your blood is running through my veins! And now that I'm a demon…I don't want to exist anymore. If you plan on using me, just kill me and get it over with!" His nostrils flared with his rage. "But mark my words; even when I die, someone will be sure to finish what I couldn't, Muzan! _**I**_ hate you. _**Everyone** _hates you! You **_will_** die[2]!"

"…" Muzan looked at Tanjirou's harsh expression, his own relaxed in contrast. "Hm~" Those words that were spat at him were cruel, but Muzan was too focused on what he wanted to do to Tanjirou to be bothered by his insubordination and insults.

Muzan was a patient Master and in his opinion, the punishment for his sub's rude behavior could be meted out during the act of breaking his mind.

Why lash out now when Tanjirou was expecting such a response?

The boy was probably hoping that he would kill him for his insolence but no, not at all.

Tanjirou's suffering would be much more beautiful than a quick death. He would take him to the height of everything he had ever experienced before and then push him beyond that. He would make him question his existence and beg for a death that would not come.

_Yes…_

He would get his satisfaction for all the insolent words this discourteous boy had ever uttered and every single wrong that Tanjirou had committed against him from the sounds of his fearful screams.

"…" That thought made Muzan smile and his gaze went down to Tanjirou's full lips that were set in an unforgiving line of wrath.

For a boy, Tanjirou not only had unnaturally beautiful eyes, but the shape of his lips were attractive too. His features had been attractive when he was a human and remained that way now.

He could be easily described as pretty.

And as though having forgotten all of the insults Tanjirou had told him prior, Muzan asked in a serious tone while gazing down at his lips, "So, you've never kissed anyone before? ~"

That sudden question hung perilously in the air.

It was so random and asked in such a casual manner that Tanjirou's rage disappeared in an instant only to be replaced by absolute confusion. He could have sworn that he had imagined Muzan asking him that, but by the way the other demon was looking at him as though waiting for a response…

_What…_

Tanjirou frowned, then blinked, before the full scope of it hit him head-on.

_._

_"So, you've never kissed anyone before? ~"_

.

This question repeated itself over and over in his head.

_'Kissed'. _

_Kissed…?_

_M-my dream…!__**[3]**_

"…?!" He gasped, recalling how Muzan had been searching inside his brain and reading all the memories that his demon body had handed over to him.

_Even __**that**__ memory too? He read it?! _

His face was hot with a scarlet blush as he knew exactly which memory it was that Muzan had read.

_Ah…_

It was that moment when Shinobu had surprised him on the roof, her lips so close to his that he had almost fainted from the shock of her sudden appearance.

She was the first person to break into his personal space so comfortably that for a hot minute, his mind had veered off its usual 'kill Muzan' path and entered forbidden territory.

.

_"You're trying __**hard **__there__**[4]**__."_

_"Aren't you __**lonely**__ by yourself?"_

_._

With the suggestive tone she had used to speak to him, his brain had seized up and all he was aware of was the warmth of the body a scant inch away from his own.

Her breath had felt oddly cool and pleasant against his heated skin.

She smelled nice.

He had started cold sweating.

And briefly, Tanjirou had wondered what it would have been like to actually kiss someone.

Shinobu's presence had conjured thoughts that were enough to momentarily disrupt his Full Focus Breaths, but he had quickly gathered and realigned himself.

He had told no one of this embarrassing faux pas, or his thoughts then, but now that secret had been shared to his enemy.

_No. No!_

"You're…blushing…" Muzan's fingers brushed lightly over the colour on Tanjirou's cheeks as the boy tried to twist out of his grip. "You always blush so easily. What are you thinking about? Am I making you uncomfortable with my question? ~"

"L-let me go…!" Tanjirou demanded. "What—"

"But oh~ Tanji-kun, I want to know… Were you so focused on me then that you missed the opportunity to have your first kiss with that poisonous snake bitch[5]? ~" Muzan asked teasingly. "Or do you just lack the skill to get to the next level with women?"

"H-huh…um…what…" Tanjirou sputtered, not knowing what to say to that.

Apparently, the Demon King was planning to use all the things he had never told anyone of before to develop a new approach to attack him.

_But…what would be his plan—_

"Oh…you refuse to respond, so it must really be true that you've never kissed anyone before. Therefore, my thoughts about you still being a virgin must be true too," Muzan deduced with a salacious grin. "I'm right, aren't I, Kamado Tanjirou? ~"

"What?!" The exclamation left Tanjirou in a rush as he thought,_ What does that have to do with anything?_

Muzan merely smirked as he waited for his response, watching as Tanjirou's beautiful eyes widened.

And although he did not respond, Muzan got his answer in the affirmative from not only the lack of a response and Tanjirou's shocked reaction, but from the way the boy was now pushing at his chest as though trying to ward off the inevitable.

"Tanjirou. Tell me one thing," Muzan mumbled while the boy fought to get out of his firm hold, "I saw some things in your memories that confuse me greatly." He paused briefly, as though gathering his thoughts. "You're always being friendly with women, but you've never really thought of them as dating material, chased after them or tried to take things further, even when it was obvious that they had a thing for you. I'd say you were into guys, but you've never paid any guys that kind of attention either." A light smirk formed on his lips. "All you've ever thought of with such great intensity is me. All you've ever chased after is me. Does that mean what I think it does?"

Tanjirou froze. Muzan could not possibly be implying that…

.

_"So your family got slaughtered. What's the problem here?"_

_"Is that why you hate me so much? Is that reason enough to follow me endlessly?"_

_"Or is there another reason?"_

.

Muzan's words to him from the night of his kidnapping echoed in his consciousness.

_What?_

_'Another reason'?!_

_He…._

_H-has Muzan been wondering all this time whether I'm attracted to him or not?_

_No! N-never!_

Tanjirou paled as he looked up into the Demon King's expectant gaze. His Master was waiting for an answer.

_Isn't it obvious?! The answer is no!_

The words froze on his tongue.

_No!_

Still nothing.

Tanjirou was horrified.

_Why can't I say anything?!_

_It can't be because it's true!_

_I hate you! I really do!_

_I've been chasing after you because I hate you so much that it makes me sick! I want to kill you! I told you that already! _

"Why can't you say anything, Tanjirou? ~" Muzan asked softly as his heated gaze went from Tanjirou's sealed lips down to his neck. "Hurry up and tell me again how much you hate me…" He used the arm around his waist to pull him hard against the front of his body and as Tanjirou's breath left him in a rush, he bent to press his lips to the nape of his warm neck "…otherwise, tonight's torture session is going to be even worse for you~"

"What….?" Tanjirou breathed out, still frozen and tongue-tied in the older male's grip.

"If you don't hurry up and say something; if you don't tell me how much you hate me," Muzan started to explain, "I might be tempted to go all the way and as hard as possible…just to find out what you're hiding from me…"

"M-Muzan…wait…"

"Mmm…~" Muzan chuckled. The way Tanjirou stuttered his name made the heat rise under his skin and as he inhaled deeply, Tanjirou's scent filled his nostrils. It was captivating, unsullied and delicious—like that of a grove of fresh flowers he could not wait to explore.

_Ah… _His mouth watered with the desire to bite into him and taste the sweetness of his flesh, but he closed his eyes and whispered instead, "You're all…mine~"

"Muzan—"

"Tanjirou...~" Muzan went on, his thick accent sounding more eloquent and erotic than before, "...every part of you belongs to me~"

"…? ?" Tanjirou felt his wicked laughter echoing in his ear as Muzan nuzzled his neck and to him, it was as though the yawning darkness was swelling around him, rising above and over his heart and souring his soul.

_I'm…all…his…?_

"Oh..." Muzan groaned. "You were so careless. Chasing after me, trying to kill me when you're so pure," he mumbled. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that demons are drawn to pure things? We long to ruin them with our darkness. And now, Tanji-kun, your hate for me...has become your greatest weakness. If you did not hate me so much, you would not be in this situation. If you did not follow me relentlessly, I would not have turned my attention on you~"

He laughed again, even as the boy stood paralyzed by confusion and surprise in his arms as though trying hard to absorb the unexpected nature of his circumstances.

"What a good little pet you are, to stay so focused on trying to kill me," Muzan whispered condescendingly against his skin, to which Tanjirou responded by closing his eyes tightly as he started to struggle again. "Your superiors must have been so proud of you~"

"Hah…" Like the raging storm he was, Muzan lifted up to look down at him, and as he did his voice darkened along with the atmosphere in the bedroom. "You were such a hardworking and obedient Demon Slayer, Little One~ But I'm the only superior you will serve now—"

"Wait…!" Tanjirou pushed at and pounded Muzan's chest. "Let me go—"

"And I have a lovely prediction for you, Tanji-kun," Muzan continued as though Tanjirou had not interrupted him, "You're going to lose that virginity of yours tonight~"

xxx

I close my eyes and remember  
That time which has passed by  
I can't turn back, I can't return home  
There's a deep, yawning darkness

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

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My TWITTER brownsugarprod1

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******Chapter Bonus?: ******Please see my twitter for the art bonus I did and the End Note that couldn't be shown here

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**Next Chapter Title: ****Virgin**

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Now that Muzan knows Tanjirou's weakness, one that he could exploit toward his main goal of breaking his strong mental will, he proceeds with the aim of subduing him so that he could mark him as one of his own. Is this plot of Muzan's a tactic that could actually work? And what about Tanjirou's escape plan? Can Tanjirou carry it out and stand a chance of fighting back at this point?

****END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter:****

**Poor Tanji-kun...**

**-1 **"Your tail is nice…On your spine, there are red diamond-shaped tattoos before it starts down here~"

Author: This is what I mentioned before. Three hearts at the end of his tail and his tail starts higher up on his back as a bumpy ridge. Plus it has a glittery sheen like those shiny scales on pretty dragons.

**-2 **_"And I have a lovely prediction for you, Tanji-kun…You're going to lose that virginity of yours tonight~"_

Author: Poor Tanjirou. Once Muzan gets going, it's going to be a loooooooooooooooooooooooong night…

**-3 ****_'_**_Didn't anyone ever tell you that demons are drawn to pure things? We long to ruin them with our darkness'_

Author: This, if you remember, is a reference to 'Chapter 7; Unreasonable Feelings and an Incomprehension of Love', where Muzan was trying to comprehend the inexplicable way he was being drawn to the light in Tanjirou's soul and how he was becoming obsessed beyond measure with wanting to corrupt, consume and ruin him.

**-4**

**DISCUSSION: SPOILER FOR MANGA CHAPTER 199 BELOW**

Okay so I really need to talk about this. Idek what to think about the new chapter I'm both loving it and sad. For one thing, they did my boy Muzan a real stink by turning him into a baby and then bullying the feck out of him lol but it makes sense. I'm not even enraged by Tamayo's miracle drug or the fact that the Pillars are still unrealistically alive and that's odd. I feel somewhat…satisfied. A lot of ppl don't like it, but imo it was a good ending. I just love how Muzan persevered to the end. He fought real hard. I love how he absorbed Tanjirou too.

Because in my twisted, fujoshi way of thinking, it's like they are together in death. Just think about the magnificence of that: They **_died _**together. No one other than Tanjirou gave the final blow and man, that made me so happy. They couldn't give me my otp but they gave me Muzan absorbing Tanjirou into his body to become one with him and I'm good with that. It was far better than Tanjirou just killing him and going on with his life. Tbh, at this point, after all that Tanjirou has been through, imo, death is the best thing for him. He has suffered some serious mental trauma that would send anyone crazy irl but you know manga logic: if he lives, he'll be 100% sane and normal and living his best life with Kanao and their 10 children in the countryside.

But on another note, I kinda almost cried when Muzan died. If you think about it, all he ever wanted was to live. Yeah yeah, I know, he's the embodiment of evil etc but seeing him crawl away as he tried to escape the sun, then that panel before he started dissolving where he was actually crying….my heart T_T

And I am so curious about the next chapter. Here's some of my crazy speculations about what each ending could possibly be (NOTE: I'm mostly being very silly here. So half-serious, half silly. Idek anymore I'm just grieving Muzan rn)…

a) End #1: Nezuko's purpose. What was the point in Nezuko coming to the battlefield? To see Tanjirou's dead body and mourn his death? Is the author setting up a sneaky ending involving her, or is she just going to turn up and say 'welp…my poor brother'? We see some touching moments, everyone crying, while in my mind Tanjirou and Muzan are together forever in the afterlife.

b) End #2: demon hybrid. Tanjirou was a little too resilient throughout this battle despite the TONS of injuries he suffered ever since Akaza made him kiss the wall. I'm wondering, what if he's part demon now?

c) End #3: Muzan lives! what if the manga ends with Muzan's baby form being a dummy to throw them off his trail and Muzan is underground? He did say that his body was starting to assimilate Tamayo's poison. He probably overcame its cell division prevention aspect, split off, and went in the ground in that panel where the baby was digging. Then he goes far away from Japan and recovers on a tropical island somewhere, for a long needed vacation.

d) End #4: Muzan x Tanjirō, but NOT the way I dream of. What if…Muzan is inside Tanjirou's body (ahahahhahaa my dirty mind…not in THAT way, okay)! And like in those horror shows, when you think the thing is dead, it is where you least expect it xD Not even Tanjirou knows that Muzan is in him. So fast forward some months, Tanjirou recovers and despite being a marked one he continues on, and regrows his lost limb and eye with some lame excuse about how he had some of Muzan's blood so he was able to regenerate. They check him out and he is 100% not a demon or demon hybrid so life goes on, he gets married, has a bunch of babies with Kanao and all is well and fine until…*danger music playing* they realize he's not aging / aging verrrrry slowly. By this time, all the Pillars are old or dead (since the marked ones die young / their injuries actually killed them) and the world has forgotten about demons and the skill of fighting them. Then… Surprise! Muzan returns! You thought it was Tanjirou, but it was I, Muzan and I'm sharing this body with Tanjirou and now I can walk in the sun xD

e) End #5: Some real sad shit. The manga just ends on chapter 200 with Muzan dissolving into dust and they show his past with him being sick and wanting nothing other than to just to live and I cry like a bitch. Or…the mangaka ramps up their sadistic author points, and along with all this tearjerker stuff, they make it that Muzan turns back to a human after his demon body crumbles. Then, he rapidly ages and mutters with his last breath, while being roasted in the heat of the rising sun, 'Ah…I finally get to see the sunlight…' then he just dies…all alone with no one to care or mourn him and I yeet myself out the window after crying miserably.

f) End #6: Everyone cries for Tanjirou and the lost lives in this battle. My favorite ending would be if the manga just ends with Tanjirou and Muzan dying together, or like in point 'a', End #1 minus the sneaky sub-plot. We see Nezuko rushing onto the dilapidated battlefield. She digs in the ground when she sees Tanjirou's arm sticking up from the dirt. Turns out that it was just his arm. Fu*k. There is no Tanjirou underground. He was vored by Muzan. Tanjirou's dead. We see the Pillars and Nezuko mourning Tanjirou's sacrifice and death together. We see no one mourning Muzan's death…(and I cry D: ) The world goes on. Gimme that angst and twisted romance of my otp dying together (while I imagine that they're fu+king in the afterlife) any day but don't…please don't give me any human Muzan crying or flashbacks. Point 'e', 'End #5', is the worst way the manga could end for me. My heart can't take it.

Thank you for reading my crazy theories now please visit my group's Twitter. There is that drawing of Tanjirou that I worked hard on that I want you to see.

Take care!

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**REFERENCES / FOOTNOTES:**

[1] _"On your spine, there are red diamond-shaped tattoos before your tail starts down here~" _Author: Those diamond-shaped 'tattoos' are similar to the red overgrowth that's on the whitehaired Muzan's body. They're slightly raised.

[2] _"_Everyone hates you! You **_will_** die" Author: Oh no, Tanjirou. I know you're stressed but be careful with what you say to your Master. He may look unaffected, but he's taking note of everything. Muzan is going to make you pay for that award-winning speech you just gave him. If he did not have this much self-control, you'd probably be a second away from getting vored. Wait…is there a 'vore' tag in this thing? Oh shit.

[3] "_M-my dream…!" _Author: This was from Chapter 4: Bond Part II: The Master and His pet, when Muzan had stolen a glance at Tanjirou's memories in order to find a way to subjugate him.

[4] Manga Chapter 50

[5] _'poisonous snake bitch' _Author: I will never stop laughing at how Muzan referred to Shinobu as this in the manga.


	15. The Clueless Virgin Part I: Ignorant

Notes:

So! Another week in Quarantine… and here I am again, bringing you another update from my overworked brain. Same situation as it's been lately. I'm in quarantine and very busy. Hope you all are doing okay. Please take care of yourselves and I hope you enjoy this. Let's bring each other a little joy in the face of this crazy apocalyptic-like state.

Anyways, it's a nice BIG update this week! Almost as big as Muzan's...ego (what did you think I was going to say? ?) You get a long chapter, and a special collaboration between myself and the artist that prompted me to write this fic (by tempting my sadistic side with a simple question 'what if Muzan makes Tanjirou beg for his blood?'). Plus it'll be another double update this week!

This chapter is a little late because there was some seriously time consuming heavy editing that changed its flow and the flow of the next chapter. I was also doing a lot of writing for future chapters, was preparing art for this chapter (the color collab), and writing for the next chapter as well x_x

The next chapter would be up by tomorrow or the day after. I have something to do for my patrons of another fic, some painting, then the final edit for that next chapter but my eyes hurt rn from all the painting / drawing I've been doing and all the sinful smut I've been writing (20k words in the past few days) so I'm going to look away from the computer and take a break for a bit. NOTE: Double updates won't happen often, it's just that I've been going even harder at writing than usual ah…

**Confession**: I had a little too much fun with bringing out Muzan's sadism and making him tease Tanjirou in this chapter... 🐺🐥

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**Chapter Summary:**

(**PART I, II & III**) Now that Muzan knows Tanjirou's weakness, one that he could exploit toward his main goal of breaking his strong mental will, he proceeds with the aim of subduing him so that he could mark him as one of his own. Is this plot of Muzan's a tactic that could actually work? And what about Tanjirou's escape plan? Can Tanjirou carry it out and stand a chance of fighting back at this point?

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**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[Slap]] A slap

[[SLAP]] A very hard slap

.

_"Memory of a conversation."_

.

"Heh." or _Heh_: A laugh

_o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o_: The start / end of a dream or memory.

**_**CHAPTER BONUS? YES! PAINTING AVAILABLE. SEE END NOTES**_**

* * *

_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 15: The Clueless Virgin: Ignorant

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Present; **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

"And I have a lovely prediction for you, Tanji-kun," Muzan continued as though Tanjirou had not interrupted him, "You're going to lose that virginity of yours tonight~"

xxx

"**A**H!" TANJIROU PULLED HIMSELF OUT OF Muzan's strong grip and swung a punch at him. "Don't talk such nonsense!" He shouted as Muzan easily dodged. "You're a guy!" He swung his other fist at him. "And even if you weren't a guy, how can I lose my virginity to a rotten loser like you?!"

"Heh~~" Muzan grabbed Tanjirou's fist before it could connect with his jaw but in a lightning fast move, the boy's other hand came up to slap him across his face.

[[SLAP]]

"…!" Tanjirou was surprised when that slap had actually connected but his elation quickly faded away when…

"Heh~~heh~~"

Muzan was laughing.

"Heh~~"

That reaction definitely was not what he had expected from him and the laughter was such a rich, buttery sound, filled with much delight that it was obvious that his Master was genuinely having fun.

"Urrrrgh...!" Tanjirou snarled as his initial surprise abated and the anger boiling inside his heart bubbled faster to the surface.

Here he was, having had his first victory against him in weeks and Muzan was laughing as though it was a big joke.

_I hate him...! !_

"You crazy bastard!" Tanjirou tried to hit him again but Muzan skillfully stopped this attempt in mid-air and using the grip he had on both his wrists, yanked his body close.

"Ooooph!" The air left him in a rush as his naked body slammed into the powerful solid strength that Muzan was.

"Ah my boy~" Muzan cooed, releasing his wrists to place one arm around Tanjirou's waist, while the other smoothed its way up his back. "How did it feel to finally slap me? ~"

"Muzan...! St-stop..." Tanjirou twisted as the hand making its way up his back started to make him feel warm inside. It was a weird feeling, as though his breaths were becoming labored and a heat was coiling in the pit of his stomach.

"Tell me, little pet..." Muzan started, glancing to where his fingers had reached the nape of his neck, "...Did that little victory make you happy?" Muzan's fingertips did a slow, sultry circle before moving up to bury themselves in the hair at the back of Tanjirou's head. "Did it turn you on? ~"

"What?!" Tanjirou struggled as his face was forcibly pressed to his Master's chest by the hand that was pulling at the roots of his hair. "Meht me goaf (Let me go)!" He demanded in an enraged voice that was muffled against Muzan's blue silk shirt.

"What a wild kitten~~" Muzan teased, whilst barely exerting much strength to hold on to Tanjirou. "It's even more interesting to watch your futile rage unfold when you're a demon hybrid. Now you look as wild as your attitude has always been~"

"Mmmmmph!" Unable to speak, due to the mere fact that his face was smothered in Muzan's muscled chest, Tanjirou snarled and thrashed against him.

"Ah… you always make playing with you such a fun experience~~" Muzan whispered, lowering his chin to rest it on the top of Tanjirou's head. "It continues to be such a pleasure to train you~"

"Mmm~" A whisper of a smile took hold of his lips to guide them into a sexy curve as his sub's wild hair tickled his face. He mumbled, "And what luck it is that you're a virgin~"

"Heh~" Muzan laughed, the sound deep, masculine and sensual. "Thanks for saving yourself for me~ Now your mind would be even easier to break this way~"

"…?!" Managing to free his head from the strong grip that held it, Tanjirou looked up at the smirking male and yelled, "Get away from me…!" but the Demon King only smiled wider, definitely not intending to do as he was demanding. "I didn't save myself for you!"

"You didn't? Hm…~" Muzan's intense gaze studied him as though sizing up prey for a meal. "So what are you trying to say? That you don't have feelings for me?"

"…!" Tanjirou looked at him with wide eyes, unable to tell if Muzan was actually serious about this accusation or was just bullshitting in order to frustrate him. "No!" He roared. "How many times do I have to show you that I hate you?! If I liked you, would I be trying to cut your head off?! How could that mean I like you?! Are you insane?!"

"I ask, because you're behaving in a conflicting manner~" Muzan replied casually while Tanjirou fought him like a wildcat. "There's something more below the surface, my pet, so why not allow me to test out my theory and analyze the results? ~"

"There's nothing to test! I told you that I don't like you! And I told you to let me go!" The aggrieved boy shouted. "I don't want to test anything with you!"

"Tanjirou~" Muzan dragged out his name with a musical lilt so close to his ear that a reluctant shiver of erotic delight went through Tanjirou's body. "This is worth investigating~ There's no shortage of girls...and boys in the Demon Corps so I want to know what your deal is~ Because… from what I saw in your memories, you had your own little fan group. A bevy of beauties were actually throwing themselves at you in that Butterfly Mansion place."

"They are my friends!" Tanjirou hissed, not sure why it was that he found it necessary to explain this to Muzan. Was Muzan twisting his mind so much that he was trying to negate what he was beginning to see as a possible truth in his words? "Not going after them doesn't mean I like you! It just means I'm not some vile person to make my friends uncomfortable like that! And they were just being nice to me…there were no feelings there!"

"Sure~" Muzan replied, clearly not convinced. "A demon doesn't care about morality you know. They just do what they feel like doing. So, if you weren't a vile person then, you're a vile demon now. Are you sure you haven't been having unreasonable thoughts about those **_friends _**of yours in the past twenty-four hours? ~"

"No! I'll never think about hurting my friends like that! And demon or not, I still wouldn't go after them like some weirdo!"

"Because you have feelings for someone else? ~" Muzan asked suggestively. "Someone close by? ~"

"Shut up!" Tanjirou shouted, thoroughly pissed that Muzan had slyly boxed him into a corner with his words. "I'm so sick of you…!"

"Heh~" Muzan laughed as Tanjirou growled at him. "Okay boy~ Even if you say that you're not attracted to me, the fact remains that you were so busy training to kill me that you repressed your sexual expression and failed to partake of the things boys your age should. Hm…" There was a tense pause. "In that case, since your present condition is all **_my _**fault, do let me solve that problem."

"Huh? No…stop…!" Tanjirou argued, squirming as the hand at his waist moved down to roughly grab a handful of his left buttocks.

"Ah…!" He grunted as Muzan used that grip to press his hips to his thigh. The muscles in Muzan's thigh flexed and Tanjirou almost moaned. It felt good to be pressed up against his solid yet limber strength in such a rough and thorough manner but he was feeling so many things in that moment, that he was overwhelmed enough by his fear and anger to keep the desire in his body from showing.

"No…no…don't touch me…" The words left his lips in a whine as he looked up into Muzan's hot stare as that hand caressed his butt. "Ah…!"

"When I first saw you naked, I was surprised by how little your body was," Muzan told him. "All those thick bulky clothes you used to wear really did create quite the illusion~" He laughed. "Undressing you…removing your Haori, uniform, leg bands and socks while you were unconscious was quite an experience. Made me feel like I was playing with one of those _Matryoshka dolls_ from Russia. You went from looking deceptively big to small and cute~"

"H-hey…" Tanjirou was so frightened that he was not in the right frame of mind to notice that Muzan had just referred to him as being 'cute'.

In his reality, he was trapped in a very disturbing situation. He had been to many places, faced down many demons and felt fear and anxiety countless times. But none of those experiences had unsettled him as much as this moment. This moment engendered a fear of a different kind. Here Muzan was, touching him in a place that no one ever had, while looking at him with such a hungry and focused stare.

And the way he was talking about investigating his possible romantic feelings for him made a chill take root in his spine.

_I don't have romantic feelings for this bastard…!_

_Why is he doing this to me?_

_Is this the torture session he was talking about carrying out? _

_Is he intending to tease me with this stupid accusation and make me as uncomfortable as possible in order to mess with my head?_

"No…!" With great effort, Tanjirou tried hard to pull away but was easily kept pressed tight to the other's body as the Demon King's hand continued to idly caress him.

"And while you've been vacationing here," Muzan went on, "You've lost a lot of weight in this past month. Your body has gotten more lithe, tight and firm…" In his quest to actively observe this, his other hand slid down the struggling boy's back to join in groping his buttocks.

"Ah…!" Tanjirou gasped, blushing hotly at Muzan's investigation.

"Your ass is still nice and firm, though," Muzan muttered at last, seemingly pleased by his analysis, but his hands remained on Tanjirou's backside so that there was now one palm on each cheek.

"M-Muzan…!" Tanjirou started hitting Muzan's shoulders harder to get him to let go but Muzan only smirked, giving him a perverted leer as he asked, "Can you really handle sex with me?"

"S-sex?"

"Yes~" Muzan chuckled darkly, as both hands squeezed Tanjirou's butt cheeks hard and pulled him up against his body again. "I'll spread your hips really wide you know."

"No…no…s-stop…!" Tanjirou was slightly gasping now. "Hnnn…" Muzan had strategically placed his left leg between his legs to separate them, and whenever his body was yanked close and his groin connected with the older male's hard, thickly muscled thigh, a shock of pleasure would go through him and a heat would flash across his face.

"Ahh...!"

At that sound, Muzan gazed down at the boy pressed up against him. His fingers were bruising his firm, smooth butt cheeks but Tanjirou's struggle had eased up quite a bit as though he was concentrating more on battling his internal response to him.

And it was clearly a fight that he was losing.

With lips slightly separated, Tanjirou's beautiful gem eyes were fixed on his stare with a disoriented glare.

His nostrils were flared and he was trying so hard to fight his pleasure response that it was almost pitiful.

A positively wicked grin creased Muzan's lips. Why? Because from Tanjirou's reactions to him, he could foresee that he would be the winner for their battle tonight.

Yes. Muzan Kibutsuji was a shrewd demon. He was not the Demon King by name alone. He did nothing without an overarching well thought out plot, had an excellent skill for reading people and with this situation too, by initiating this little act between them, he was gauging Tanjirou's reactions and carnal knowledge so that he would know how to act later on.

And his analysis told him the facts: a virgin like Tanjirou, who had zero awareness about the fact that at this moment his body was careening toward his first orgasm, would not be able to resist anything that he did to him.

If his budding arousal was already making him this helpless and pliant, Tanjirou would **_not _**be ready for the kind of sex that he wanted to have with him. Surely, he would be driven to the edge of sheer madness after he taught him all that he could make his body experience.

_After his virginity is stolen, he would be so devastated that he would become a puppet that craves to serve me._

Muzan's grin settled into a condescending smile as his grip tightened to the point that his bruising fingers were cutting his skin.

A shaky, poorly concealed moan escaped Tanjirou's lips and Muzan looked down at how the boy's hands, that were once slapping at and pounding against his chest, were now balled up into little fists and grabbing at the material of his shirt's sleeves.

_Hm~_

And no matter how hard Tanjirou was fighting, his body retained its responsiveness to his touch, muscles flexing beautifully as he forced him to ride his thigh to the tune he had set.

"Ah…" Tanjirou grimaced.

_Aah…_

There was a sweet, burning sensation between his legs that exacerbated the pleasurably coiling knot in the pit of his tummy.

_What is this…? _He thought in a panic as he was pressed up impossibly close to Muzan's body again. Muzan pulling him forward like this had become something of a rhythm and with the sliding of the front of his hips against Muzan's rough wool pants, and the smooth silk of his shirt chaffing over his naked chest, Tanjirou wanted to…

_Ah…_

_Ah…_

"And Tanjirou…~"

Muzan was talking but Tanjirou was hardly processing anything that was being said to him. All he was aware of was the tingling sensation in his body, the fingertips biting into his skin, and the weird urge he was having to rest his head against Muzan's chest while his body was being moved like it was.

_Ah…_

It was not that he had suddenly become sentimental and wanted to cuddle him. He just wanted to hide his heated face away from the way Muzan's gaze was hungrily analyzing him.

"…and it's so good you're still fat here." Muzan stopped grinding Tanjirou's hips to his thigh and slapped his butt hard.

[[Slap]]

"Do you like that? ~" He demanded as Tanjirou yelped. "Do you like it when I slap you like that? Or do you prefer it if I hit you much harder? ~"

[[SLAP]]

He hit him again and as Tanjirou flinched from that stinging slap that echoed in the silence of the bedroom, his tail perked up and Muzan heard his barely concealed throaty moan.

Yes, although Tanjirou did not consciously realize it, he was totally into that kind of thing.

_Oh...so he's turned on by rough play...~_

"…~" A thoroughly pleased expression diffused over Muzan's face at this and he bent to whisper near his ear, "You know...I like things like that… I like a lot of weird things…"

"Hey, stop this now! Are you some kind of creep?!" Tanjirou hissed, finally regaining his composure to push at his chest hard. Muzan's erotic whisper had completely sobered him up and his crippling arousal disappeared as his spirit regained the gumption to fight.

"Move...!" He shouted.

"Let's do lots of weird things together, Tanjirou…" Muzan continued in his same teasing and delectable accent that was driving Tanjirou crazy. "It will be no different than fighting…it will be—"

"Argh…!" Tanjirou's hands reached up, palms pressing against Muzan's chin to push him away as the Demon King bent to nuzzle his neck. He even tried stomping Muzan's foot but his Master was completely unaffected and watched him thrashing about with a calm expression and both hands still firmly attached to his buttocks.

"I told you to stop it!" Tanjirou shouted. "Why are you being so weird?! Stop touching me!"

"But didn't you just ask me to kill you?" Muzan asked, whilst grabbing a lump of skin on Tanjirou's butt between his thumb and index finger and twisting it hard. As Tanjirou gasped from the pain, he went on, "You told me that you '_don't want to be my anything,' _that you want me to '_just kill you and get it over with'._"

"That…!" Tanjirou started. "I didn't mean that you should do something weird—"

"Hm~" Muzan narrowed his eyes on him. "You can die from sex with me you know. You didn't specify the method that you wanted to die by…so how about we continue where we had left off in your dream? How about I kill you with pleasure?" He smirked. "Although…since you're a demon now, you might actually survive ~"

"W-what…?!" In the month that Muzan had had him there, the demon had never once looked at or tried to touch him inappropriately—even while he cleaned his body or tied him up naked on the bed to punish him—so all this was new to Tanjirou.

It was as though the normally restrained older male was either replaced with a new, lecherous one or was finally showing his true intentions.

_Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?!_

_And why does he keep talking about having sex with me?_

_He can't be serious!_

_That can't be what he wants to do with me?!_

_I'm a boy!_

_That's right… He has to be lying. He's not serious!_

_No….no….no… _Tanjirou had entered into a state of utter denial. The Demon King was basically groping his naked butt and a minute earlier he was forcing him to dry hump his thigh, but he was convinced that the other demon was just doing this to stress him out. There was no way he actually intended to follow through with having sex with him.

"You have turned out to be quite a surprise," Muzan said. "Not only do you have a powerful will, you're one of those very rare people who are resistant to demon blood. Your body fought my influence, but in the end I won the first stage because your mind has weakened."

"…" Tanjirou said nothing in response to that as he was too busy trying to focus breathe in order to calm the raging arousal in his body. His Master's mockery was the least of his concerns at this point.

"Now you're a hybrid of sorts," Muzan went on. "Because of our compatibility, your body obeys but your human brain, due to your stubborn willpower and resistance, will keep rejecting me and fighting your body's desire. I will win, though. How much can your brain fight the immense pleasure and stress before it gives in? I will break your spirit and put my mark on you."

A vision of Tanjirou, broken, beautiful and servile entered his mind.

_Hm~_

"Ah~~" Muzan sighed happily at the sudden thought he had had. "And how about after you're marked?" He asked. "Will you still fight me or will you turn into my obedient little kitty? I want to see that." A wicked laugh punctuated his ridicule. "I've been alive for a thousand years and have seen it all, so work hard to show me something interesting tonight, ok?"

He pressed his body closer to him and Tanjirou hissed, as though suddenly made aware of his presence again.

_Not this again…!_

_Whenever he touches me like this my body feels weird…!_

"Muzan—"

"Tanjirou," Muzan interrupted, whilst looking down at the face of the distraught and blushing boy. "You've already shown yourself to be capable of surviving the large volume of blood I gave you last night. No one has ever been able to do that before and I'm intrigued with the thought of what you can become~"

"But before you get to the point of becoming my loyal servant, I'm going to enjoy your ruination. I want to see what **_else _**you can endure taking into your body[1]~" A perverted smirk tipped one corner of his lips upward. "I want to see the reactions of one who has persisted in retaining the full memories and moral code of who he was, when he sees what's to come~"

Muzan's voice lowered.

"It's time for stage two to commence. I wonder if that will be the thing to break you? ~"

"What do you plan to—" Tanjirou pushed at him "—do with me?"

"Heh~" Muzan was wearing an evil smile. "Now that you're a demon I can finally upgrade my methods of torture. I can fuck you the way I want to without killing you[2]," he said in a crude, hot whisper.

"You keep refusing the offer to become my Moon, but I'm going to break your mind and mark you as mine," Muzan promised. "Think you can handle cumming on the dick of the one who killed your family and friends? ~"

"…? ? ?" Tanjirou could not make any sense out of what Muzan was saying to him. To him, it was all gibberish or a language he could not speak. "What?![3]"

_._

_"__I can fuck you the way I want to without killing you…Think you can handle cumming on the dick of the one who killed your family and friends?"_

_._

_'__Fuck'…? 'Dick'? 'Cumming'…?_

He had never heard any of those words before.

_What is that?_

But then slowly, the pieces of the puzzle started coming together in his head.

_._

_"A virgin, hm?" _

_"__Can you really handle sex with me?"_

_._

_Sex…?_

_Does 'fuck', 'dick', and 'cumming' have something to do with sex?_

_Everything he's saying right now all sounds dirty, but what do those words mean? _

_And why does he keep saying that he wants to do that stuff with me? Why is he acting like I'm a girl?_

"..." The deep furrow in his brow was evidence that Tanjirou's thoughts were becoming more troubled.

_Men don't have sex with each other, so he's definitely lying about planning to have sex with me…_

"Ugh..." Tanjirou was beginning to get a feeling that he was completely oblivious about an obvious fact but he had no idea how to know what that fact was and this in turn was stressing him further.

_Ah don't think about this too much, Tanjirou...this is exactly what he wants. H__e's definitely messing with you again. _

_Ah damn...I can't help but worry. I'm getting really stressed about all this…_

"We're going to do the deed," Muzan explained gruffly, seeing that Tanjirou was not fully processing what was going to happen to him. "I know you're a country boy, but this level of ignorance and denial is a bit much, don't you think? Was selling coal and trying to kill me all you ever thought about in your life? ~"

"…!" Tanjirou stopped struggling and looked up at him with a pronounced glare as he bristled from those insults. "I'm not in denial!" He said through clenched teeth as his glare foretold all the ways he wanted to kill Muzan for humiliating him like he was. "You're being a weirdo! You're lying and saying things I don't understand! And you keep touching my butt!" Tanjirou tried to wiggle out of his hold but Muzan was still holding on to him securely. "Normal people don't do stuff like that!"

"'Lying'? 'Normal people'?" Muzan frowned before his expression evened out. "Ah…I see…" A second passed before he replied, "You're one of those clueless virgins who only know the basics about sex. You don't know that there are males who have sex with each other, don't you, Tanjirou?"

"Ah…." Tanjirou froze. "They...what…?!"

"That's why I've been touching you like this. That's why your body has been reacting to my touch too. I'm not lying at all. I want to have sex and your body wants me to put my dick in you." Muzan patted his butt. "'Fuck' is a slang for sex, 'cumming' is a slang for an orgasm, which is the height of pleasure that people reach during sex, and a 'dick', also known as a 'cock' is a slang term for the penis of a male. In the same way the male's penis gets erect to go into the female, it happens like that between males too[4]~"

Muzan was completely unmoved to be talking about this with Tanjirou and the look on his face remained placid and unchanged as though he was telling him what they were going to have for dinner.

"S.E.X," Muzan sounded out.

"…!" Finally, it hit Tanjirou as understanding dawned on him with the intensity of a sun he had not seen or felt in thirty-one days.

"Wh-wh…what…?!" Tanjirou's lips separated, then closed, then opened again and remained that way for a good minute before he started to crumble.

"No…no…" He frowned up at Muzan's stern face with a glare. "How would that even work?! I'm not a woman…!"

"Heh~" Muzan laughed at this. "Nice to see that you've already put yourself in the role of the one who will be receiving~~" He grinned. "So what if you're not a woman? I don't care. That won't stop me. I'll show you exactly where my dick will go~" His hand smoothed over Tanjirou's butt cheek. "I will mark my territory all over you. Nothing has worked to break your mind completely, but our session for tonight will be very...**_invasive_**. It will be implicitly focused on seeing if you can hold up to being made into a little whore. I'll give you so many orgasms your brain will self-destruct~"

"…" When all the emotion left Tanjirou's face and he stood stock still, with his mouth slightly agape as though he was trying to do mental math to calculate the area of the room without the bed and sink while factoring in what was going to take place next and the trajectories to defend against it, Muzan took that as an opportunity to act.

"...~" Pinning him with a focused stare, he released him, moving to unbutton his waistcoat. "You've been fighting me so much so far, but remember this, Tanjirou, the more you fight me, the worse this will continue to get for you until I get what I want. Your loss is pretty much guaranteed, so I suggest that you behave yourself." His sadistic expression suddenly seemed to be ten times more feral with wild eyes that anticipated his submissive's destruction. "If you do not heed my warning to submit peacefully, but choose to be troublesome, the loss of your virginity would be an experience you will never forget..."

"...?!" Tanjirou gasped as he felt a sudden tension in his muscles.

_What...?!_

_Ah…._

His initial confusion eased into a fearful sort of understanding. He knew what this was. It was the familiar sensation of having been placed under an active compulsion to freeze his movements.

_No...!_

His entire body was warm and he was unable to do anything other than move his eyes, swallow, breathe and blink. Muzan was definitely taking precautions in case he wanted to run.

Still, Tanjirou tried to overcome it.

"...?"

_This one is stronger than the last…_

_But...I can't give up on my escape plan! ! _

"…! !"

He failed.

_There must be a way to beat this...There must...!_

_Ugh...why...why can't I move?! Why is this so strong?!_

_Argh..._

_I'm exhausted..._

Fighting Muzan's compulsions was difficult as his body belonged to his cruel Master and wanting to do the opposite of what it was commanded to do always took a lot of his energy.

_Ah... _Listlessly, his tired gaze went to Muzan as the Demon King's words went through his head,

.

_"__So, you've really never kissed anyone before?"_

_._

_H-he…wants to kiss me…_

_._

_."We're going to have sex__…___but our session for tonight will be very...**invasive**. It will be implicitly focused on seeing if you can hold up to being made into a little whore_."_

.

_He…wants to have sex…With me..._

_._

A crude image of Muzan laughing at him filled his mind.

_"__S.E.X."_

_._

_Sex..._

_._

_Sex…?!_

_._

_This can't be real…!_

And, as he stood stunned, staring blankly at Muzan as the Demon King stared back at him, his situation brought back the memory of a certain discussion he had had with his mother a few years earlier.

.

_o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o_

_I can't turn back, I can't return home  
There's a deep, yawning darkness  
A tender sound that makes you want to cry  
_

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

* * *

Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

* * *

******Chapter Bonus?: ******Please see my twitter for the special art collaboration bonus from a guest artist + myself and the images for the End Notes that couldn't be shown here. The artist I collaborated with is currently (briefly) available for art commissions, they do beautiful line art with traditional materials (their digital line art will be available soon), specialize in yaoi and draw almost any kink so you can check them out if you like on Instagram or Tumblr at/Ketsalistlis to look at their stuff or message them on those platforms if you want a commission spot!

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* * *

**Ne****xt Chapter Title: **The Clueless Virgin PART II: Love

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Things intensify?

****END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter****

****(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):****

**-1 ****_'"_**_Undressing you…removing your Haori, uniform, leg bands and socks while you were unconscious was quite an experience. Made me feel like I was playing with one of those Matryoshka dolls from Russia_**_."'_**

Author: **_M_**_**atryoshka doll **_…lol. Muzan actually compared him to one of those xD. And since the Muzan in this story has traveled all over in his quest for the Blue Spider Lily, it is natural that he would be familiar with the Russian nesting dolls. It's this:

(SEE TWITTER FOR IMAGE)

Big-in-clothes-Tanjirou, to teeny-tiny-Tanjirou… lolol (wow...I've been subconsciously using quite a few alliterations in this chapter) I'm laughing…

**-2 **_'He hit him again and as Tanjirou flinched from that stinging slap that echoed in the silence of the bedroom, his tail perked up and Muzan heard his barely concealed throaty moan.'_

Author: Tanjirou's brain is like 'Noooooooooooooo...!' but Tanjirou's demon body is like 'Slap me harder, Daddy!'

_b) "I like that… I like a lot of weird things…"_

Author: Groping his butt, whispering in his ear, saying crude and perverted things and making Tanjirou dry hump him - I just love how Muzan went full creep-mode in this chapter. And picture this; throughout the whole thing, Muzan is totally straight-faced lmao no shame. Run, Tanjirou...he's not lying...he's into some freaky things :o

-3 '_"Mmmmmph!" Unable to speak, due to the mere fact that his face was smothered in Muzan's muscled chest, Tanjirou snarled and thrashed against him.'_

Author: Get rekt Tanjirou. Suffocate in those big bara boobies (in case you're confused, 'bara' is a genre of gay love (like how yaoi is a genre) where the men's bodies are hypersexualized to show off their appealing nature. The men's bodies aren't slim and effeminate (as far as I've seen) and usually there are lots of big, nicely (or not so nicely) muscled chests, so I'm using this word like an adjective in the context of describing Muzan's beautiful pecs and the fact that Tanjirou is dwarfed by and getting a face full of manly boobs).

_b) __'…and the weird urge he was having to rest his head against Muzan's chest while his body was being moved like it was. It was not that he had suddenly become sentimental and wanted to cuddle him. He just wanted to hide his heated face away from the way Muzan's gaze was hungrily analyzing him.'_

Author: Are you sure about that, Tanji-kun? Seems like you might be developing a fetish of wanting to bury your face in that big bara chest. No shame in that.

-4_ '"I know you're a country boy, but this level of ignorance and denial is a bit much, don't you think? Was selling coal and trying to kill me all you ever thought about in your life? ~"'_

Author: You forgot to mention Nezuko. He also thought about Nezuko-chan as well.

-5 '_his lips separated, then closed, then opened again and remained that way for a good minute__'_

Author: Tanjirou was definitely doing the Pikachu face here lol…(SEE TWITTER FOR IMAGE)

I love it when Tanjirou makes those meme faces xD My other favorite one was when he did the taxidermy monkey pose.

b) _'"I'll give you so many orgasms your brain will self-destruct~"'_

Author: Not a bad way to go imo...¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

-6 '_as understanding dawned on him with the intensity of a sun he had not seen or felt in thirty-one days.'_

Author: I'm beginning to feel like Tanjirou in this quarantine. This is like his 'vacation' in Muzan's mansion, except without the torture and Muzan :(

(P.S. I laughed when Muzan said "And while you've been vacationing here...You've lost a lot of weight in this past month. Your body has gotten more lithe, tight and firm…"' Um, no Muzan. You're not Jenny Craig and this isn't some condo in Malibu that Tanjirou WILLINGLY went to to get a beach body.)

-7 **_'_**_Pinning him with a focused stare, he released him, moving to unbutton his waistcoat.' _

Author: Woooohooo striptease Muzan! *Throws a dollar at him* Take it all off!

*Sexy music starts playing*

b) _ "If you do not heed my warning to submit peacefully, but choose to be troublesome, the loss of your virginity would be an experience you will never forget..." _

Author: J-just...listen to him, Tanjirou. He isn't joking. When a sadist gives you a warning, don't go ahead and cross them...

-8 **'**_Sex…This can't be real…!'_

Author: Once again, I can hear the Virginity Alarm blaring. (SEE TWITTER FOR IMAGE)

**DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!**

He escaped Shinobu, but can he escape Muzan? x'D

* * *

**REFERENCES / ******IMPORTANT ******FOOTNOTES**:

[1] "_'…__I'm going to enjoy your ruination. I want to see what __**else **__you can endure taking into your body _~"' Author: When you see what he's talking about, you'll understand why he's curious about whether Tanjirou can 'ENDURE' it…

[2] '"I can fuck you the way I want to without killing you"' Author: Geez! What do you plan to do?!

[3] **The C****lueless Virgin explained**: _'"…" __Tanjirou could not make any sense out of what Muzan was saying to him."'_ Author: I know Tanjirou seems to be super clueless to the **_obvious_**, but that's only because we're seeing his experiences in this story through our perverted eyes and we know what Muzan is up to. It's like watching a movie where there's a bomb under the table and we're screaming at the protagonists to get out because it's sooo obvious that they're in danger but they are clueless because things seem normal, albeit a bit tense. Here, from Tanjirou's perspective, he has only received very **_basic_** education about the birds and the bees (aka sex) and while he is aware that Muzan has been touching him inappropriately since that tongue-in-the-ear incident in Chapter 9; he thinks that Muzan is just stressing him out and talking about sex with the goal of mentally frustrating him. And in his opinion, Muzan trying to stress him now is no different from how he's been mentally stressing him for the past 31 days.

And added to that he is a pure, gentle soul who doesn't know the more colloquial terms in sex like 'fuck', 'dick', and 'cumming', or even what an orgasm is. When he lived in the mountains, all he did was work and care for his family and when he set out after their death, all he did was train / fight demons. Sure, he worked in the Red Light District, but I figure that he's more the type to stay focused on his mission than focus on any crude words that were being passed around.

And in this story, he is not aware of the existence of gay love / sex. Also, as seen in canon he is just plain ignorant to others' interest in him (there are so many ppl whose lives he had an impact on and doesn't realize it). Then, let's touch on the subject of how little he focuses on himself. To Tanjirou, his goal is of greater value than himself. Remember how Giyuu and Obanai in the Dimensional Fortress arc had to shout at him to stop worrying about others and consider himself for once? I think this and many other examples through the series is evidence as to how little he values / thinks about his well-being esp when comparing it to something he believes he HAS to do. Another example is how he was broken and still went to the Rengoku household to deliver his sensei's final message to his brother and father. As the eldest in his family, Tanjirou's more the 'caretaker' type that's accustomed to being responsible for / serving / focusing on others etc., while mostly ignoring his own needs. It has become so much of a habit that that's just his modus operandi now. And then his goal to kill Muzan only made this behavior worse. Just like Muzan focuses too much on the Blue Spider Lily and a Demon that can walk in the sun, Tanjirou focuses too much on turning Nezuko back to human and killing Muzan. So to be in a position here with Muzan where the focus is 100% on him, where he is forced to come out of his one-track-mind 'kill Muzan' way of thinking, and where his body has a strong need that it wants Muzan to satisfy, one which he doesn't quite understand yet cannot ignore, he's at a loss. There's a lot he'll have to learn and get used to. Hence the reason why I've tagged this story with 'clueless virgin' but don't worry, Muzan will help to teach him about everything that confuses him :)

[4] '_In the same way the male's penis gets erect to go into the female, it happens like that between males too'_ Author: Muzan is explaining it in such a basic way so that Tanjirou could understand. Kind of like 1+1=2. Lol. It has begun…Muzan's sex education. This is where the story tag, 'Tanjirou Gets The Sex Education He Did Not Get In The Corps' comes into effect.

* * *

**A SPECIAL NOTE (Contains mild spoilers for Manga chapter 201 in the second and fourth replies):**

****GUEST:****O****hoho! I know the artist you're talking about! Ah yes...Such great art! The mouths in this story aren't based off of those, but it's hella close to the experience our boy will be having!

**REN :H**ello! Yep you're right, putting in all these details and settings takes time but it's a venture well worth the effort, because when all the puzzle pieces start falling into place, all the previous foreshadowing I've been doing will make sense. I'm happy that you appreciate it! That makes me happy and makes all this work feel enjoyable! Yay! I'm happy you like demon!Tanjirou's description! He's so cute! And LOL! You predicted Tanjirou's reaction so well! The poor boy did not appreciate Muzan's bluntness at all and here Muzan is again being even MORE blunt! Now Tanji-kun's gone into shock haha.

Awww I'm so grateful that you took time out of your busy schedule to not only check this out, but to leave such a nice review. It's awesome that this helped to make you feel better and I hope that you got some rest! Thanks for the well wishes. I wish you the same! Please take care of yourself! I will do my best to take care.

Haha I wish this social distancing came with a Muzan! And aww yeah, poor Tanjirou is going to do his best to keep his mind strong. He'll be fighting so hard in the next few chapters that it's actually sad tbh. And you're welcome! Have a great day!

**SERA REGALO: H**m great new Manga chapter, huh? I was at the edge of my seat! Sadly, we still are seeing no Nezuko...hopefully she won't be running for 11 chapters again :c

**TANAKI NOVA: H**i! Welcome back! I hope that work isn't too hard on you. Ah I loved reading those reviews you left! Hehe seems like the Mangaka was redeeming themselves with chapter 201. Makes me wonder if they changed the route they were planning. 200 really felt like an end (albeit a bad one) but somehow 201 feels like really sharp turn. I'm very happy for it tho, but I'm also very cautious. I just know that the mangaka will pull a sneaky on me so I'm not going to put my heart out there for them to stomp on it...no way! I learned my lesson from the Rengoku arc ughhhh. Love all that you said about Muzan's character and how Tamayo got him so wrong. I agree 1000%! That's why I say that this 201st chapter feels like a make-up chapter. I'm guessing that a lot of fans weren't happy about the giant baby humiliation so the mangaka showed that he was inside the thing and also gave a reason for the baby transformation. Also, the wind pillar was my favorite part too. He legit woke up like 'fuk' ahahahaha. Poor guy!

_' Muzan wants to make Tanjirou scream until he passes out... Damn Tanjirou doesn't know how lucky he is'_ \- RIGHT?

_' The sadism will go wild in this story? Good...I need it. Give our demon king vengeance.'_ -YES! The vengeance that he rightfully deserves! But I'm telling ya...you might actually feel sorry for Tanji-kun hahahaha

You're so right! Muzan is totally going to enjoy breaking his mind and (possibly) building_ "an obedient moon from the pieces"_

I laughed at how vicious you were here: _'The final chapter should have Upper Moon Tanjirou killing his friends that survived. Being completely broken in and Muzan's lover. The point where he would never even think to question Muzan's will' -_-oooh man I love your sadism so much!

Thanks again for all your reviews and for always being so sweet! Try and get some rest, okay?

**GUEST:** **L**olol waiting for Nezuko to be done with the running is giving me war flashbacks from waiting for Naruto to respond to Hinata's confession. I'm beginning to think that all Mangakas are sadists and they enjoy torturing their readers. When Nezuko was done running I was like 'finally' but then a few chapters passed and they showed her running again -.-

'Those descriptions though! They're so detailed, idk if should be embarrassed, horrified, or intrigued. For Tanjirou.' Be all of the above! Especially when chapter 17/18/19/20 rolls around. After writing those, I did a lot of self reflection about why I was motivated to write Muzan being so sadistic. It was fun tho...

You're welcome! I'm happy that these updates helped you! There'll be another set of fast updates this week!

**GUEST:** **A**hahaha what do you mean? Everything has hit the fan with the last chapter, now everything is just getting worse and WORSE

**GUEST:** **O**oh sheet I read the chapter! Biggest shock ever, although I was expecting it as one of the outcomes, t'was still a shock! I'll give my full thoughts in the next update :o

**GUEST:** **H**ello! I usually update weekly but + 2-3 days if there's heavy editing that changes the flow of the chapter, if I'm doing a lot of writing for future chapters, if I'm preparing art for that chapter, or if I'm doing a double update as well ;D

Have a good day and thanks for reading, everyone!


	16. The Clueless Virgin PART II: Love

Notes:

Here's part II! So here I am, three days later than I estimated for the early release. A little delay because we had a massive heat wave for a couple days that made me sick. Also, that one chapter I wanted to upload turned into two and then I wanted to sketch out Muzan's design so my readers could understand how I see him…but then that 'sketch' turned into a painting, which took more time and also motivated me to write some extra things for the future chapters and those 'extra' things turned into another 12,000 words...lol… But it's all good because now you will be getting a triple update and two paintings in one week hah.

I'm doing better only that my sinuses are acting up, my back hurts (poor posture from writing I guess?), I have a headache and I'm feeling a bit bummed (PERSONAL: my reason for being bummed is probably pretty dumb. I dont normally go on my irl social media but happened to do that today to do something for someone and saw all my over-achieving friends showing off (that's how they are but I don't blame them) and thought, 'ah...so here I am spending 15+ hours a day in an obvious obsession of writing for R18 stories that take my money rather than make me any money while they're doctors etc.? Oh.' So that put me in one of those bitter low moments where I feel like deliberately choosing to not pursue my PhD after university and pursuing what I loved instead was wasting my potential behind a hobby I treat with the focus and dedication of a job. Writing fanfiction is something that I really love and dont ever want to stop doing even if it isn't financially viable. And yes, I've already tried to make a 'living' off my writing, but fanfiction is all I'm addicted to using my time for and it surely isn't the place to make a living. I was just unlucky enough that my interest lies heavily in this genre. Maybe this is all the stupid headache I got from the heatwave mixed with the persistent hunger of self-quarantine and I'm not thinking reasonably. I feel like one of those Covid-19 memes but mine would be: DAY 30 OF QUARANTINE...I'M STARTING TO THINK ABOUT MY LIFE CHOICES...). Being mortal sucks sometimes tbh.

But don't worry about me... I do genuinely love to draw and also write fanfiction (and share it), which is why I spend so much time on it. But as I love it so much and spend so much energy on it, subconsciously, I'm always questioning my choices in life. I'll go get some rest and not think about those ppl who deliberately only post the good things on social media to paint a perfect picture of their life.

As for this chapter, we left off with Tanjirou frozen by Muzan's powerful compulsion! While he's like this and absolutely shocked by Muzan's plans for him, he remembers an important discussion he had with his mother, which sheds some light on his feelings about what will (probably) take place soon... 🐺🐥

Also, if you're up to date with the manga, do read my notes on it at the end! I'll put up the next chapter and the painting once I get some rest! I really do love how the painting turned out so that has been helping me to feel better!

Sorry for the long notes in this chapter...but please enjoy what I wrote, I really liked writing this chapter for you guys!

* * *

Chapter Summary:

(PART I, II & III) Now that Muzan knows Tanjirou's weakness, one that he could exploit toward his main goal of breaking his strong mental will, he proceeds with the aim of subduing him so that he could mark him as one of his own. Is this plot of Muzan's a tactic that could actually work? And what about Tanjirou's escape plan? Can Tanjirou carry it out and stand a chance of fighting back at this point?

* * *

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[Huff]] Laboured breathing

[[Swish]] The sound of clothing

_"Memory of a conversation."_

"Heh.": A laugh

_o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o_: The start / end of a dream or memory.

* * *

_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 16: The Clueless Virgin PART II: Love

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Present; **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

..•..

* * *

And, as he stood stunned, staring blankly at Muzan as the Demon King stared back at him, his situation brought back the memory of a certain discussion he had had with his mother a few years earlier.

_o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o_

**N.B.:** Somewhere in the mountains of Japan, several years earlier…

**T**HE DISCUSSION HAD TAKEN PLACE on a warm summer morning, back when they were still adjusting to Tanjuro's recent death.

His death was one they had been expecting, but it still hit them all hard, especially in the period immediately afterwards as they tried to carry on in his absence.

Kie, his mother, did her best to be the strong support she had always been to her family, but late at night, when she was convinced that they were all asleep, Tanjirou could hear her soft sobs from where she lay on her Tatami mat as she cuddled his father's blanket and cried.

It hurt him greatly to know that she was carrying such a great pain in her heart while smiling so brightly with all of them, but her outstanding demonstration of inner strength also made him try harder at supporting her and his siblings.

Tanjirou was used to the routine of helping out at home, as his father was ailing for quite a while and for that length of time he had had to help out more and more around the house, although Tanjuro was very active whenever he could manage up until the night of his passing.

And motivated by his mother's selfless strength to move forward in the face of pain, he carried the burden of his father's death and his family's expectations well.

Tanjirou's days as the new head of the house were very tedious and today was just like every other day, except that he was returning a bit earlier than usual from selling coal in town.

"Hm?" He smiled when he made it to the top of the hill to see that his mother and Nezuko were cleaning snap peas on the porch.

The temperature in the mountains was cooler due to the altitude, so they were able to plant this crop during early summer and it was now ready.

His sister and mother were alone, sitting comfortably with a large silvertoned dish full of the bright green pods each, and he figured that Takeo must be watching the baby while his other siblings were playing in the back.

As they chatted while they worked, a medium-sized wooden bowl sat between them to hold the freshly cleaned pods so that the discarded stems remained in the large bowl of uncleaned pods.

Clearly, they too had had a productive morning as well.

The entire space radiated an aura of comfort and camaraderie, one that increased when Nezuko said something and they both laughed.

"…" Although Tanjirou could not hear what they were talking about, their joy made him smile too.

"Ohayou!" He greeted, and both Nezuko and his mother stopped what they were doing to look up at him with their bright, perfect smiles as he approached.

"Ohayou," his mother said, giving him her usual gentle look that radiated her gratitude to the gods that he had returned to them safely.

"Ohayou, nii-chan!" Nezuko greeted happily. As Tanjirou had left at the crack of dawn, it was now mid-morning. He had been away for a couple hours, but had returned quicker than was his norm. Nezuko's smile became a bit hesitant. "How many did you sell?"

"All!" Tanjirou cheered with a wide grin, turning over his pail to show her that it was empty. "Since the festival's approaching, a lot of shops are buying up coal to stockpile for their preparations! If sales keep up like this, I might be able to get you the cloth for that yukata you've been wanting to make for the end of summer festival."

"Really?"

"Sure." Tanjirou smiled, puffing out his chest to appear older and more dependable. "You want to marry a nice guy don't you? Who knows, you might meet someone I approve of at the festival."

"Someone **_you_** approve of?"

"Yeah. Only the best _Hisha_ deserves my sister—"

"Hey!" Nezuko frowned. "Takeo told you about that?"

"Heh heh," Tanjirou laughed in place of giving her a response.

"Don't laugh at me, dog-lover!"

"…" Tanjirou's laughter stopped and his entire face went scarlet as Nezuko watched him with an expression that gave no hint as to what she was thinking. "H-hey…it was not an actual dog I was talking about! I just want someone loyal and intense and you know how dogs are like that and show their emotions and love deeply but that doesn't mean I want an actual dog to—[1]"

He had started to explain himself in a rush but when he saw that Nezuko was trying to stifle her laughter, he realized that she had been teasing him just as he had been teasing her and frowned. "Silly!"

He put down his empty pail but before he could grab her, she was already hopping up from the porch.

"You're the silly one!" Nezuko laughed, thrusting her dish of pea pods at him before running off to the stove to start the broth for their lunch.

"Nii-san works so hard every day," she called back at him. "We're making you some tasty ramen with miso and snap peas!"

"Thanks ah…that's nice…but should we be eating like this…?" Tanjirou's smile faded as he asked this uncertainly. "What about food for the rest of summer...? And what about winter?"

Honestly, he considered his duties to the family as something he did not need to be praised or treated well for and would rather feel the intense pain of hunger and suffering if it meant that his family would not have to go hungry.

He was always aware of the reality that they were poor and needed to be mindful of how they budgeted money and rationed their food supplies.

"We have enough," his mother, Kie assured him. "Our neighbour gave us two chickens. We've got plenty of the basics including miso and as you can see, the snap peas we planted are already full. And of course our winter storage is already well on its way to being stocked up, so don't worry."

"I see…" Tanjirou sat next to her on the porch with the dish Nezuko had given him. Although he had been up long before the sun rose to help with breakfast before setting out to work, Tanjirou had no problem with helping out again and started cleaning those peas while they quietly enjoyed the cool summer breeze that eased the budding heat of the day.

"Tanjirou." Suddenly, his mother's voice called to him, as gentle as the wind whistling through the trees but with a slightly serious tone and he turned to her kind smile. "You're a very hardworking boy and you always put our interests first. Do you want to get married?"

"Huh?" Tanjirou was a bit puzzled. He talked about a lot of things with his mother, but this question was rather sudden.

"You're still quite young, but you're a smart boy. You're also very focused, hard-working, selfless and loyal. A lot of girls would want to marry you. You will make a good husband."

"Eh…" Tanjirou hesitated a bit then shook his head. "Dad isn't around anymore," he mumbled, "I don't want to leave you all here alone."

"We have quite a bit of land. It's not like you'll be far away when you marry. Plus Takeo is capable and growing up fast." His mother's voice was quiet. "You'll be eligible to marry in a few years. You shouldn't waste your life away worrying about us too much. Soon you'll have to care for a family of your own."

"A…family….but I already have one." Tanjirou frowned. In his eyes, after his father had died, it was his role to protect and care for them and he wanted to do this for as long as he was able. To him, while he did have a particular type of girl in mind that he wanted to marry one day, it made no sense to think about marriage when he was busy caring for those who were already in his heart.

"Also…" Tanjirou hesitated at this, "If I have to make another family, that means I have to have sex…get a girl pregnant…then…"

"…" Kie looked at him for a moment, aptly studying his expression before she realized where his anxiety lay. She asked, "You don't want to ever have sex?"

"I've never really thought about it. It seems like a really serious thing and I've never been attracted to anyone before to think about doing something that serious." Tanjirou looked down into his bowl as his hands worked. He was not embarrassed though, just pensive.

Talking with his mother about this was not hard. As was typical of the traditional way of their time, after the death of the head of the household, the sons assumed the dominant role in caring for the family and making important decisions. Tanjirou did this, but he still looked up to his mother and never treated her as though she was less of a person than he was.

He respected her just as his father had and seeing the love between his parents that went on even after his father's death made him realize that a love like theirs would be hard to find.

And if it so happened that such a love was one that he would never find, then he would rather not get married or pursue it until he was sure that he was ready and that it was real.

"I don't know if I want to be intimate like that…or have children," Tanjirou admitted, glancing briefly to his mother. She always encouraged him and her other children to talk about anything that bothered them and never judged them so it was quite easy to be open with her. "I get so confused sometimes when I think about love. I want to be loved, but I don't want to replace the family I already have…and I don't want to settle for a bad relationship."

"…" Kie was quiet for a moment but then she chuckled. When her eldest looked to her with a slight frown, she said, "Now I see why you said you wanted to marry a dog—"

"I don't want to marry an actual—"

"I know," she cut in to assure him. "What I'm saying is that you're such a sweetheart. Did the love your father and I share ruin love for you?" Before he could reply she went on, "Sure, a love that intense and someone that loyal is rare, but finding them is possible."

"It is?" Tanjirou asked uncertainly.

"It is," his mother confirmed. "There are people like that out there; you just have to find the one that is just right for you, the one whose side you would never leave and the one who won't leave your side either. You'll bear every joy and heartache together—that is how love becomes intense and loyal, because when you love someone, everything you do with them becomes special."

Her tone became wistful. "You don't have to fall in love and you don't have to have kids if you don't want to, but children are a blessing. They really do enrich your life. Sometimes, you would not even know how special they are and how much love you want to give them until your wife is pregnant."

"…" Tanjirou listened to her, taking in all that was said to him as she went on,

"Sex is special too. It helps to strengthen the bond between two people. It gives way to life. Saving yourself until marriage isn't something that I'll tell you that you have to do though, but when you do have sex, you should do it with someone you care about. Someone who is special to you."

"Mom…"

"Hm?"

"How do I know when someone is special and when I'm ready to lose my virginity?"

Tanjirou asked this confidently as he was knowledgeable about a lot from all the facts of life discussions that his mother had educated him with, but he had never asked this one question that had always bothered him.

Sure, that special person was out there, but how does one know that that person is the **_right _**person? A lifetime was a long time. Was there one special person who was also the right person for him, or would there be several who would appear to be special but really are not?

"What if I choose one person and it turns out that they're not right for me?" Tanjirou went on, trying to put his thoughts into words. "This is really hard…"

"Yeah, it can be difficult to know when you're in love with the one who is right for you, but your body will tell you," Kie said with a smile. "You'll feel a pull in your heart. And you won't be able to stop thinking about the person you like. It's more than just a physical attraction. They'll be on your mind constantly. They will possess qualities that you admire. You may be attracted to their strength or the way they look, talk, move—it's different for everyone, but you'll know when the time is right."

"Ah…" Tanjirou nodded to show that he understood.

"Ultimately, it is your decision to make about who you want to be with, and who you decide to give your virginity to, but saving yourself for the one you love can be a special thing." She reached out to pat his head and as Tanjirou leaned into her touch, she smiled brighter. "But don't think about it too much. Whether you want love or not, in the end, it's up to the gods to decide when and how love will find you."

_o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o_

**N.B.:** Present…

"…" Tanjirou still could not move, but his sentience was slowly returning.

_Ah…_

_Virginity…I'm…going to lose my virginity…_

_N-no…_

His mother's voice from his recollection called out to him,

_._

_"Tanjirou…"_

_"Ultimately, it is your decision to make about who you want to be with, and who you decide to give your virginity to, but saving yourself for the one you love can be a special thing."_

_._

_I didn't decide anything…_

_He's planning to steal this from me…even after everything he's taken…he's still not satisfied._

_Taking…taking…taking…_

_He's always taking from me…! _

_Mom… This isn't what you were talking about, right? This isn't how it's supposed to be…! _

_It can't be that I have to have sex with him…_

_I didn't save myself for this jerk…! I don't love him…! And he's a guy! How is that even going to happen…?_

_Love is not torture! It's special! I want to have sex when I'm ready to live together with my special person as a family…not because some jerk wants to break my mind…!_

_Ah…_

_Ah….._

_This is a nightmare, right?!_

_This can't be happening…!_

Frozen with shock, Tanjirou watched with wide eyes as the Demon King casually finished unbuttoning his first bit of clothing then loosened and removed his tie.

[[Swishh]]

The light grey waistcoat, then tie, fell to the ground near his feet.

As Tanjirou's gaze had followed their descent, his eyes focused on something he was only now noticing.

Muzan's feet were covered with a red overgrowth and sporting long, gnarled nails.

_Huh…_

Confused, his gaze travelled upwards to stop at his hands.

Those hands, that were once like what would belong to a human male, were bearing the same red overgrowth and long sharp nails that were shaded in a purple gradient.

_They changed just like his feet…_

Now that Tanjirou thought about it, although Muzan was in his combat form, he had not been fully outfitted for battle when he had arrived at the mansion.

He had been so busy fighting and resisting his advances and mockery then that he had not acknowledged the gravity of this difference, but now…

_Oh._

His body's changing, Tanjirou thought, noting that similar to when he had first stepped into the room, his face still bore the red mass that seemed to grow out from his hairline, and he could not see the imprint of the teeth from the body mouths through his shirt. And along with the red overgrowth and long garish nails on his hands and feet, that was all that was akin to the beastlike form he remembered from the Dimensional Fortress.

_Is he able to suppress certain aspects of his form…? _Tanjirou wondered as a few seconds, bearing an immeasurably heavy weight passed between them.

Muzan remained stone-faced as he watched him, but then his fingers moved to the top button of his turquoise blue shirt.

One, two, three buttons came undone.

The process was excruciatingly slow, and as Tanjirou felt as though his heart was in his throat, the tiny part of his brain that still functioned was caught between trying to figure out if Muzan was deliberately dragging things out or if he was always that meticulous about removing his clothes.

His gaze went to his face, shielded partially by strands of smooth, long white hair that had broken free from their loose ponytail to roll down past his shoulders in waves. He studied his expression and the look in those adroit eyes that refused to look away from him, but Tanjirou could not discern any ill intent or clue of how Muzan was planning to carry out his ruination.

Tanjirou wanted to be prepared by at least knowing what awaited him, but Muzan's face remained as an unreadable mask.

Was his Master going to finish undressing first then grab and throw him down on the bed, where he would then proceed to show him how he would take his virginity?

Or would it happen differently?

Tanjirou had no idea. Muzan was not even glancing to the bed for him to get an idea. All he was doing was looking at him. Only him.

And weirdly, after the initial threat, the excitement and pure lust that had been rolling off Muzan in massive waves were no more.

The Demon King now seemed so harmless that it was apparent that momentarily, he had silenced the beast that was inside him.

Anyone looking on would assume that this was just a man removing his clothes before going to bed.

But sadly, Tanjirou was reminded of the severity of his circumstances when, on finally completing the task of unbuttoning and shrugging out of his shirt, Muzan's body started changing again, but this time, right before his eyes.

It was a display that made the breath stop in Tanjirou's burning lungs.

At first, Muzan's torso that was similar to what a human male's would look like, received a proliferation of the red mass on its upper half and sides. Then multiple mouths, with sharp fang-like teeth around their perimeters, opened up from deep slits that appeared along the length of his arms[2].

As Muzan's body changed, Tanjirou was hit by the intensity of his frightening circumstances. This Muzan was no average man…or demon, for that matter and with a body like this, he was going to have sex with him.

_Ah…_

_Th-this…_

It was just as he had remembered from that night at the Dimensional Infinity Fortress when Muzan had taken on this new form and appeared before him.

This time though, unlike when he had last seen him in that Fortress, the mouths seemed a bit different. Back then, they were already active and ready to attack, but now he was learning that they seemingly came from within large cuts that formed wherever the red overgrowth had stained his body.

That was something Tanjirou did not want to know. But despite his refusal to learn more about his Master's current body, it continued to change in preparation to violate him as his eyes continued to look on in shock.

"…?!" Tanjirou did not even have the breath to gasp as the fearsome teeth gnashed, then opened up and from within the depths of a few of the mouths, thick, long, drooling tongues emerged to hang down, lolling lazily to one side or the other.

The liquid that coated them glistened in the lamplight, appearing to be viscous and bounteous, dripping to the floor in large droplets and as those wet tongues flexed and twisted, appearing to possess a life of their own, to Tanjirou, it was as though a vortex had taken up residence in his stomach—he almost retched.

He found himself focusing on the heavy droplets dripping from them. Maybe it was saliva; maybe it was not, but Tanjirou was so disturbed by this sight that he felt hollow inside.

He was positively overwhelmed; so much so that a mild tremor was starting to shake his body as two additional slits opened up on Muzan's chest.

They were the last things to appear on Muzan's body—one extra mouth on either side of his upper pectorals, at least six inches in length and bearing an unknown depth.

_Ugh. _

Tanjirou decided then and there that he did not want to see any more developments.

Looking at Muzan was like looking at something right out of a nightmare. He felt sick.

_So…that's how it is. He's able to hide his demon characteristics at will, _Tanjirou realized. _And now that I think about it, he was like that in Asakusa too… His eyes changed when he got angry. And then his nails had changed to slash that guy even when he still looked human!_

_But…none of that explains why those mouths have tongues…! Those weren't there the last time I saw them!_

_._

_"…but our session for tonight will be very...__**invasive**__…You know...I like things like that… I like a lot of weird things…Let's do lots of weird things together, Tanjirou…"_

_._

_Eh…?_

His memory of his Master's words made him anxious.

_In that stupid Fortress, if he had those body mouths because he wanted to eat, then having them now and with tongues serves what purpose?! I-is that a part of the weird sex he was talking about…? ? S-since the tongues are so…lively…why am I getting the feeling that they want to lick me all over?! What is he going to do with them?!_

_And…if the tongues are going to lick me, then what are the teeth going to do?!_

_Does he plan to eat me after he takes my virginity? Is he some kind of spider?!_

"…!" In his mind's eye Tanjirou saw himself trembling, naked and being vored by Muzan.

[[Huff]]

[[Huff]]

His breaths were coming in gasps now as his vivid imagination was not helping to allay the mounting fear in him about the abysmal future that was unfolding right before his eyes.

_I have to go. I have to go!_

_Move!_

He was on the verge of a panic attack and close to tears as his body remained immobile and unresponsive to his efforts to escape.

Sex with Muzan would not only be about losing his virginity but it would be such a strange and frightening experience that his mind would be broken in no time. Tanjirou already knew it—this was something he could not handle.

Yet, he could not run away from his fate.

xxx

_I can't turn back, I can't return home  
There's a deep, yawning darkness  
A tender sound that makes you want to cry  
_

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

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**Next Chapter Title: ****The Clueless Virgin PART III: Escape**

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Tanjirou finally manages to carry out his escape?!

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

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****END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter****

****(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):****

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**Well.**

\- 1 Author: Ahhh Tanjirou. Muzan is no friendly Shiba dog, but he's definitely intense and persistent ;p

(SEE TWITTER FOR IMAGE THAT COULDN'T GO HERE)

**-2** _'Please no…Not with him… I don't love him…! And he's a guy! How is that even going to happen…?'_

Author: Poor Tanjirou…he has such a strong belief in love. Run…! Protect your virginity!

Also… this was totally how Tanjirou looked in this chapter while he was spaced out:

(SEE TWITTER FOR IMAGE THAT COULDN'T GO HERE)

**-3 _'_**_"Ohayou," his mother said, giving him her usual gentle look that radiated her gratitude to the gods that he had returned to them safely.'_

Author: Ah…I love writing about the Kamado family. Makes my heart so soft. I can just imagine after that dog incident how much they all teased Tanjirou XD

**-4 _'_**_the mouths seemed a bit different. Back then, they were already active and ready to attack, but now he learned that they seemingly came from within large cuts that formed wherever the overgrowth was'_

Author : This is just my headcanon for the way the mouths on Muzan's body works. When he was in the Fortress, he was already in battle mode so they were open, ready to munch on things and all that. But here, as Tanjirou's disobedience was what had triggered his change into this current form, the mouths weren't there on his body yet. This is why they weren't mentioned while Muzan was cleaning him because Tanjirou did not see any on him (remember there's one at the back of his hand so Tanjirou would have at least seen that) However… now that Muzan's preparing for other things that he wants to use those mouths for, they shall be unleashed…( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Also, his mouths have tongues. Why? Why not? It's something I wanted because I…well you will see in later chapters *nervous laugh*

I know about two artists who have already drawn him with a few of the mouths having tongues, but my inspiration for this didn't come from them. My perverse thought arose the moment I saw that whitehaired Muzan in the manga and thought… "woah! He has body mouths like how Deidara's got those hand mouths!" Then I was like "Where are the tongues?" Y-yeah…so that's right…I was inspired by the Naruto series *more nervous laughter*. Ahhhh I love Deidara so much…

Anyways… and the reason for me designing Muzan's body mouths this way (where they emerge from within slits that form then open on his body) is so that this Muzan can wear clothes lol. As they are, those mouths with their big ol' overbite teeth would make it too hard for him to wear shirts and pants.

-5 '_So…he's able to hide his demon characteristics at will_'

Author: What Tanjirou is saying here is what I believe Muzan has the ability to do in _**every** _form he takes on. We've seen how he can make himself look more human-like if he so desires, while having his offensive abilities ready. For example, we've seen child and Fedora Muzan easily hide their demon eyes. Fedora Muzan also showed that he could retrieve / unleash his demon fingernails at will so those body mouths are nothing much to hide away.

-6 '_Does he plan to eat me after he takes my virginity? Is he some kind of spider?!'_

Author: Tanjirou is talking about the Black Widow Spider that eats its mate after the sexing…

**_My thoughts on Manga Chapter 201+202 (discussion / spoiler) _ **

You know, a few days before Manga 201 as I was editing Chapter 19 of this story, where I referenced a statement Tanjirou had made in Chapter 93 of the Manga, it had me thinking of some things. The statement was as follows: _"If I ever became a demon, I'm sure, one of the Demon Hunters would come cut my head off."_ I felt disturbed as I read that and suddenly got to wondering if that could have been an awful foreshadowing for the end of the manga.

I started hoping that although the Mangaka said that there would be a bad end, that my haunch would not be correct…. Then BOOM chapter 201 happened ASDFGHJKL and prediction #4 in my chapter 14's extra kinda came true: MuzanTan in the worst way (by Muzan sharing a part of himself with Tanjirou). The mangaka broke my heart, both giving me Muzan's past and turning Tanjirou into a demon that would be hunted by his friends (although I'm doing the same thing in this story lol but that doesn't count ok). Ahhhh after all Tanji-kun's suffering to have this happen. Welp.

I'm not totally sad though, because I got to see Tanjirou as a demon….so cute with his Muzan-eyes and feral look! They were trying to kill him but oh man, I wanted to hug him! Also, Muzan reaching out to touch Tanjirou's cheek and give him his blood was the sexiest thing I've ever laid my eyes on in 24 hours when I read that chapter last Saturday.

But then, seeing Muzan cry and crumble away made me mad again. Like…showing me baby Muzan crying as he was being beat up in the last chapter wasn't bad enough, they had to show me whitehaired Muzan crying! And that backstory! Muzan fought so hard to live ugh I was ready to yeet myself out the window but then two things stopped me.

I had to finish read the manga I had to finish edit and post these chapters :c

Also, there is something that Muzan says that is like a cut and paste from a future scene I had written before for Chapter 25 / 26 of this story (yes…I've written that far into the future of this already. I've got a writing obsession tbh)! It is when he says that Tanjirou could use such monstrous abilities etc and would conquer the sun just like Nezuko! I'm so excited! Muzan in this story also tells Tanjirou this! Now my headcanon is canon wooohooo.

And now I'm angered again because I'm like "Fuuuuuu dammit Muzan! You **_now _**realize that he is like Nezuko?! Why didn't you mess him up and turn him into a demon since the moment you sliced his eye and realized that you were being backed into a corner by the Pillars? Or...even from the beginning, when you looked at Tanjirou and shouted "come and get me if you can, Kamado Tanjiro!" That should have been Tanjirou you were escaping into the Fortress with and not Tamayo -.- You damn prideful +++! You could have converted him, your enemy, into a demon and had him fight for you to help eliminate the Slayers. You could have left before Nakime died! If you had turned Tanjirou and left with him and Nakime, the Slayers would have been finished. With Nakime's ability to locate the Slayers' hideout and Tanjirou as your new powerful aide… ahhh! Can you imagine that? Well obviously not because now you're dead."

Sigh. There is nothing I can do but curse at the wind.

Oh and I just read 202…why does Tanjirou look / act like a combination of 9 tails Naruto in Bijuu mode and Tokyo Ghoul Kaneki but with a bone Kagune?

Hm…doesn't Kaneki's VA also voice Tanjirou? Is Gotouge playing with our feelings by not only hurting us, but by bringing up the old pain from other manga now? Wow, Gotouge is in epic sadist mode Lol. I'll be going into sadist mode in chapter 18, but still...my sadism doesnt count haha

And ah yes, 201 ends with Tamayo / shinobu's miracle drug about to strike again, this time delivered by Kanao. But…in chapter 197(?) Muzan stated that he had almost beaten Tamayo's drug, didn't he? And said he only 'needed a little more time'. There's a possibility that Tanjirou has inherited this budding resistance from him, so how I see it, one of three things might happen:

the manga could just disregard Muzan having said this and have the drug work instantly on Tanjirou a combination of the drug, Nezuko's cuteness and the power of friendship can work to make Tanjirou human again. So it's basically like the plot just used Muzan once again, you know, because Tanjirou becoming a demon healed all his wounds, regenerated the lost limbs and brought him back to life. So...getting rid of the demonic influence would be like 'hooray! a brand new Tanjirou who was never injured or dead! Now all the fans dont have to get mad that the main was killed off!' Tanjirou would become the new enemy they will all have to fight (long-term) and the manga will go on for a new arc

Tbh I hate all these options but I can't see any other alternatives

Also, I now understand Gotouge's cruel genius behind having Muzan only able to transform into a baby at the end (after being severely weakened). The sun is his greatest enemy. I think Muzan reverted to that state because of what had happened when he was a human foetus. He had beat death several times in that state. So, to Muzan, that was probably his strongest version of himself in his mind and…

I can't think about this anymore. I'm getting sad. Yes… I am a Muzan fan ok(I have other fav characters too of course)… Thank you for reading this and see you in the next chapter of this story…

.

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**A SPECIAL NOTE (Contains very mild spoilers for Manga chapter 201 in the third reply):**

**REN:A**h thank you so much! I'm so happy that you like the art! LOL yes Muzan is such a sadist to have Tanjirou still wearing the broken chains xD He clearly doesn't know how to be nice to him ^^;

The part where Giyuu was crying made me so darn sad! For a long time now, ever since Rengoku's demise, I feel as though the manga has got my feelings all tangled up and it's one pain after the next. Gotouge is clearly a sadist...

And let's see if our dear Tanjirou in this story will learn to behave himself. Because if not, he'll definitely get REKT hard.

Haha that part in chap 15 made me laugh too!

Please stay safe too! I'm always happy to get your chapter reviews so tysm for leaving a comment!

**GUEST: A**yeee! Just wait till you read about it! Their first kiss will definitely blow Tanjirou's mind ahahahaha

**GUEST: L**ol! No, I don't have a liking for calling Tanjirou 'kitty' haha that's something the Muzan in this story does for a reason. What I personally like to call him is 'Tanji-kun'. Note that whenever you see Muzan refer to Tanjirou as 'kitty', 'cat' or 'kitten', he's being cruel. His words may sound / seem endearing and as though he's using sweet pet names for him, but the truth is that he's mocking Tanjirou for his feline characteristics and reminding him that he's no longer human because Muzan is just a big sadistic jerk who gets all excited when Tanjirou is upset / troubled.

Aw that's ok if you can't picture him looking like he is in the story! The main angle in this story is that he's a demon, thus, for his demon form you can picture him however you like in your head so that you can best enjoy the story! I won't give you any spoilers, but Tanjirou looks this way for a reason. Like I said, he isn't a cat but Muzan calling him that is just Muzan being a jerk. These features he has are just an outward projection of his Blood Demon Techniques. I'll say no more before I go into spoiler mode! And thanks a million for thinking the art is cute 3! !

As for your question about the tentacles, the thing is, I had written A LOT for this story before the Muzan in Canon had that type of tentacles on his back, so I didn't incorporate it but the good news is that I did write him as having tentacles, but the ones he has (in this story) are quite different than the Canon ones. Their form is adapted for certain activities ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

As for Tanjirou having tentacles, I'll leave that as a surprise, but I will hint that he is looking this way in the story for a reason xD

**GUEST: A**ww Thank you! Your support helps me to give you guys treats like this and it makes the work I put in TOTALLY worth it!

**REN: T**hanks for your kind words! The incredible heat is causing suffering that makes it hard for me to think but I'll stay hydrated and do my best to rest! Thanks for sending me this message and please have a great day!

Thanks everyone for reading and please take care!


	17. The Clueless Virgin PART III: His Escape

Notes:

Woohoo yesss another chapter within a day. Here's part III! What will happen to poor little Tanji-kun? Can he build up the strength to carry out his escape plan?! Or maybe he's going to start thinking that it's all hopeless and that fighting is just a useless venture... 🐺🐥

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

So I mentioned this in response to a lovely reader's question, but I thought that I'd say it here again in case anyone has the same questions.

The Muzan in this story refers to Tanjirou as 'kitty', 'cat' or 'kitten', not because Tanjirou is a cat or something, but because Muzan is being cruel. His words may sound / seem endearing and as though he's using sweet pet names for him, but the truth is that he's mocking Tanjirou for his feline characteristics and reminding him that he's no longer human because…well…Muzan is just a big sadistic jerk who gets all excited when Tanjirou is upset / troubled.

And it's ok if you guys can't picture Tanjirou looking the way I've designed him to look in the story! The main angle in this story is that he's a demon, thus, for his demon form you can picture him however you like in your head so that you can best enjoy the story! I won't give you any spoilers, but Tanjirou looks this way for a reason. Like I said, he isn't a cat but Muzan calling him that is just Muzan being a jerk. Tanjirou does not realize it yet but these features he has are just an outward projection of his Blood Demon Techniques. I'll say no more before I go into spoiler mode!

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**Chapter Summary:**

(PART I, II & III) Now that Muzan knows Tanjirou's weakness, one that he could exploit toward his main goal of breaking his strong mental will, he proceeds with the aim of subduing him so that he could mark him as one of his own. Is this plot of Muzan's a tactic that could actually work? And what about Tanjirou's escape plan? Can Tanjirou carry it out and stand a chance of fighting back at this point?

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Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[Badum]]: Heartbeats

[[PANT]] Heavy breathing

[[TAP]] Footsteps

[[HUFF]] Laboured breathing

_"Memory of a conversation."_

"Heh.": A laugh

**_'Telepathic speaking'_**

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**_CHAPTER BONUS? YES! PAINTING AVAILABLE. SEE END NOTES_**

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_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

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Chapter 17: The Clueless Virgin PART III: His Planned Escape

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Present; **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

**P**_LEASE GO…PLEASE GET AWAY from him…! _Tanjirou desperately begged his body, despite being fully aware of where its loyalties lay. _Move!_

_Arghh…!_

_Move…! ! ! _He demanded with a greater urgency, but of course, commanding it did not work either; Muzan's command was stronger.

His feet were frozen, unwilling to obey his command to flee, and when his Master's hands went to the polished silver buckle of the leather belt he wore in the loops of his wool dress pants, Tanjirou sucked in a large breath—the only thing he could do at this point.

.

"…and your body wants me to put my dick in you… So what if you're not a woman? I don't care."

.

_He's going to take off his pants…! I'm going to see his p-penis…I mean dick…ah, no…cock—_

_Ah whatever…! I don't want to see it!_

_._

_"…That won't stop me. I'll show you exactly where my dick will go"_

.

_I don't want to know where he's going to put it!_

_Please gods give me the strength to escape…! _Tanjirou thought with determination. Muzan was making no move to remove his belt but was just watching him and Tanjirou knew that he was feasting on the palpable panic that was being driven into him.

Tanjirou knew what was happening now. Muzan was delaying the start of their actual sex and building the fear in his mind so that the experience would be a lot more horrible for him.

Once again, Muzan reminded him of a cat that played with its food until it was dead. All evening, he had been playing mind games with him – shaving him, bathing him in a slow and thorough manner, saying suggestive remarks and looking at him with an intense hunger in his eyes.

He was a sadist through and through and Tanjirou had to admit that his tactic was working. At the moment, he could barely ease the disquiet in his bones.

Mentally, he was so terrified by the fact that he was like a fly waiting to be devoured by the spider that his anxiety had overpowered the blatant arousal in his body.

"…" Tanjirou closed his eyes.

Yes. The first thing he had to do was to not look at Muzan. The unsettling sight of those carnivorous mouths, and the long dribbling tongues swishing about frightened him so much that he was too unsettled to focus his mind.

_Focus breathe, Tanjirou. Focus breathe. _

_You can beat this. You can do it._

_He's trying to frighten you. He's trying to prepare your mind to break it. Don't make this easy for him._

As Tanjirou thought this, he could already feel an immeasurable calm start to flood his being. If he were to successfully escape Muzan, he would have to do his best to start building up enough mental fortitude to try to conquer the powerful compulsion on his body that stopped him from escaping.

He also had to remove all traces of denial about his reality.

_This is not a dream. And Muzan… was not teasing me to stress me out, _he reminded himself, _Men do have sex. This is really going to happen…_

_I…If I don't get stronger now, if I don't escape **now**, I'll end up losing my virginity to this jerk…of all people!_

_This demon-jerk-bastard that likes weird sex!_

_He's going to do all kinds of strange things to me with those mouths!_

_Th-that…I can't let him do that to me…_

Tanjirou was not sure how sex between males happened, but he understood one thing at last; if such things were taking place in the world without his knowledge, maybe Muzan was right.

Focusing too much on achieving his revenge really had helped to keep him ignorant, but knowing Muzan's sadistic nature; he did not want to stick around to be taught of this act and of all the things he had missed out on by him.

Muzan was no kind yet firm sensei who wanted to teach him. He was a vile and sadistic demon that thrilled at the thought of his physical, mental and emotional pain.

.

_"It will be no different than fighting…"_

_. _

_If he believes that sex with him would be no different than fighting, then he's planning to do everything he can to win. _

_._

_"I'm going to break your mind and mark you as mine."_

.

_Ugh…_

Muzan's entire plan unfolded like a flower in full bloom right before his eyes as the Demon King's sadistic smirk filled his mind.

All of what Muzan had been attempting the past couple weeks since he had been in his company, was evidence to his Master's determination to win their battle.

_No matter how many times I beat him back he keeps returning with the intention to ruin me._

_First, he uses physical and psychological torture to get me to become a demon and accept that stupid proposition to join his ranks._

_That failed, but eventually, he succeeded in tricking me to accept his blood. But when his demonic blood had failed to take me over completely, Muzan used the link we share to enter my dream with the hopes of taking over my mind that way. _

_When that had also failed and he **still** could not control me entirely, he's now deciding to embark on this new plan—to use sex to psychologically break me so that he could place his demonic mark on me._

_The battle between Muzan and the Slayer Corps did not end thirty-one nights ago at his Fortress. It's been continuing since…but with me!_

_Everything that I've been enduring since my kidnapping has just been one battle after the next._

_If I lose tonight, the Slayers lose too. I-I…don't know much about sex…I don't know what he'll do to my body. But if I can't withstand his attacks and he marks me, I'll become just like his Moons were…loyal and unable to disobey._

_No._

_No. _

_No…_

_I don't want to become his Upper Moon!_

_I don't want to be his tool!_

_And I don't want to lose my virginity this way…!_

_._

_"…saving yourself for the one you love can be a special thing. But don't think about it too much. Whether you want love or not, in the end, it's up to the gods to decide when and how love will find you." _

_._

Tanjirou squeezed his eyes closed tighter. He was unsure as to why he was thinking of his mother's words about love at this time, but one thing was clear to him—

_I want to save myself for the one I love…_

.

_"I can fuck you the way I want to without killing you."__**[1]**_

_._

His memory of the crass way Muzan had said those words made him shudder.

_There's no way the gods would want this for me…!_

_Sex isn't special to this creep…! The way he wants to have sex is a perversion. Torture. This is all about Muzan marking me…And if he marks me…if I become his new Moon, then it's all over. And not just for me…but for my friends too…_

_All of me will be his._

Slowly, Tanjirou opened his eyes and one of his trembling legs moved as he attempted to back away.

_Good. _He breathed out a sigh of relief._ I've regained control. I can finally move. But that's only one step. I have to run. I have to—_

"Where are you going?"

.

[[Badum]]

[[Badum]]

[[Badum]]

.

Muzan's harsh voice made his heart play a frantic tune, as it started beating relentlessly against his ribcage.

.

[[Badum]]

_Run._

[[Badum]]

_You can't miss this opportunity!_

[[Badum]]

_Run!_

.

**'I asked you a question, pet. Respond.'**

"…" In spite of being looked at with a punishing glare, Tanjirou chose to remain silent as he continued to slowly back away.

_._

_"You've been fighting me so much so far, but remember this, Tanjirou, the more you fight me, the worse this will continue to get for you until I get what I want. Your loss is pretty much guaranteed, so I suggest that you behave yourself."_

_"If you do not heed my warning to submit peacefully, but choose to be troublesome, the loss of your virginity would be an experience you will never forget..."_

.

Tanjirou remembered Muzan's warning, but he knew that he could not simply stand there and let his demonic Master have his way with him.

Muzan's anger was worth risking if it meant that he could gain his freedom.

He could not think about losing. He had to think about winning. If he was able to get free, then he would not have to worry about losing his virginity in a violent way as a result of angering the Demon King.

_I can get out of here._

_I **will** get out of here._

_I **will** be free of him._

Tanjirou tried to stay focused and positive, but with his stubborn silence, his Master's face darkened, the atmosphere was plunged into dank cloud of despair and horror, and he started to feel the claws of a fear he had never felt sinking into his bones.

He was suddenly overcome with the urge to kneel.

"…!" Never before had he felt such a frightening rage being emitted from Muzan.

[[PANT]]

[[PANT]]

A cold sweat beaded on his forehead and a powerful nausea gripped his stomach, but he fought to remain standing and not subjugate himself as he turned wild eyes to the doorway behind him.

_I will not kneel._

[[PANT]]

_I am not his pet. I am not his property._

_I am Kamado Tanjirou. I am a Demon Slayer. I…I…_

[[Badum]]

His heart drummed in the stifling silence that was only a few seconds, but felt like hours.

He looked back to Muzan, held his breath and took another step back.

Already, a plan was formulating in his brain. The room was huge and its exit was far away, but its door was still open from when Muzan had entered. He could make it if he ran straight for it without stopping. If Muzan attacked, the room's sparsely furnished décor and the fact that there was enough space to allow him to dodge successfully would surely work in his favor.

"Tanjirou." Muzan's voice was a black slurry of vaguely concealed rage. "I warned you about this. Do you want to see my sadistic side so badly? Don't you dare try to—"

[[TAP]]

[[TAP]]

[[TAP]]

With the adrenaline rushing in his veins, Tanjirou did not wait for Muzan to finish what he was saying before he turned and ran straight for the door.

**'Stop.'**

"…!" That compulsion struck him to his core, freezing him up temporarily with a terrible pain, but in an instant Tanjirou overpowered it and continued to run.

_No! I'm not going to give in! I'm not going to lose!_

_I'm getting stronger…! I can fight his compulsions off faster now…!_

_I'm not going to let him take everything away from me…!_

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

His attempt at running was clumsy due to his weeks of inactivity and his weight loss, but he persisted.

His eyes focused on the doorway and he did a quick estimate.

Fifteen seconds—that was how long it would take to get to his freedom, but Tanjirou knew that this would be the longest fifteen seconds of his life.

_Run._

There was still hope.

_Run…_

Muzan had not broken him completely.

_Run…!_

During his captivity, he had adopted a practice of doing a strict meditation regimen combined with his Full Focus Breathing during the daylight hours, and also whenever Muzan was not around, to help himself stay sane.

And Tanjirou thanked the gods for this diligence as he could see that it had paid off as he had hoped in helping him to not lose his combat knowledge or stamina.

_Muzan is wrong! I have not submitted! I can escape!_

_Please get away! Please make it…!_

The only major problem he was facing was that due to his thirty-one days of being chained up, limited nutrition and lowered calorie intake, he had lost some muscle tone so his level of speed and combat ability was definitely not on par with when he was at his peak.

If Muzan were to attack—

_No…! I will overcome this…!_

_But…_

Tanjirou was reminded of one fact. He was utilizing his basic strength and going to the limits that he was used to as a human. As he was now, he was a demon, with a limitless well of strength before him—a potential that was waiting to be used.

He had already subdued his demon body in order to escape. All he had to do was unlock the door that separated the psychological from the physiological and his malnutritioned body would be renewed—he would be stronger and faster.

_I should connect to my body. I should learn to use its abilities._

_I might even have a Blood Technique that I can use to escape—_

_._

_"Demons that use special powers known as the Blood Demon Art have supernatural abilities. Sometimes, you may have to fight a demon like that**[2]**."_

_._

_A demon with supernatural abilities… _Tanjirou thought, repeating his words from the time when he was still under Urokodaki's training.

_Now…I am such a demon…_

_I'm sure that I have special abilities._

_Muzan said that I took a lot of his blood last night. He would not be so determined to convert me if he did not sense something special._

_But…_

He gritted his teeth as a strong wave of repulsion came over him.

"Damn…" That agitated whisper fell from his lips as Tanjirou realized reluctantly that if he were to escape, he would have to conquer his repulsion for his new state and utilize his demonic abilities.

_No…no!_

_It's impossible…!_

_To use that would mean acknowledging that I'm a demon…! I won't use that. I can make it through this and escape him with my own strength!_

[[HUFF]]

_Be confident, Tanjirou…!_

Tanjirou tried to motivate himself so that he would not lose sight in the face of his present odds.

_I can get away. _

For him, it was all or nothing—either he put all his effort into getting away or stay where he was forever and become Muzan's pet.

_I won't become his tool! _Tanjirou thought but in spite of his focus, he was starting to feel a strange foreboding about the fact that here he was, running straight for the exit of that room, but Muzan was not attacking or trying to recapture him.

Was he waiting for him to get close enough to escaping and then snatch all hope away from him with a violent recapture?

That would be a truly fitting thing for a sadist like his Master to do—

_No. _Tanjirou pushed that concern away. He could not allow anything to break his focus.

The doorway that was now within reach. He could make it.

_I can't…worry about that now. Just a few more steps!_

_Just a few more seconds and I would be free._

_All I need is to get out of this house and I can lose him. I'm sure of it. I can do it. I can do it. I can—_

xxx

* * *

_I can't turn back, I can't return home  
There's a deep, yawning darkness  
A tender sound that makes you want to cry_

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

* * *

Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

* * *

**Chapter Bonus?: ****SPECIAL ART!**

Please see my twitter for the link to the art that I did! It's Tanjirou's buff Demon Daddy and how he looks right now in this chapter ooohh boy... It's my first attempt at drawing / painting this much of him. I hope that you like it. I'm actually pleased with the outcome as I believe that I was able to somewhat capture a fraction of his Zaddyness that's rampant in future chapters. Poor Tanjirou...those mouths are going to be um..._**troublesome. **_I hope that I was able to capture the grossness of those mouths in my art xD

NOTE: His tongues can extend realllllllll far...

These mouths are so awesome they get a chapter all for themselves ;p

* * *

.

**Next Chapter Title: **A Battle For Freedom

**Next Chapter Teaser:** Muzan has taken a lot from Tanjirou; his family, peace of mind, freedom, ability to fight back and even his humanity. In his obsessive quest to train and turn him into the perfect pet, everything was taken away from…or at least that was what Tanjirou had thought. There were still two things that Muzan had not taken yet: his sanity and his virginity and as his Master prepares to take what he believes is his to claim, Tanjirou knows that as he is now, he cannot fight so he attempts to escape from the future that has been mapped out for him. Is this the right thing to do…?

* * *

**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter**

**(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):**

.

**Well.**

**-1 '**_Muzan's anger was worth risking if it meant that he could gain his freedom.'_

Author: Are you…sure about that…?

b. '_The way he wants to have sex is a perversion. Torture'_

Author: Tanjirou isn't talking about gay sex being a perversion. He's talking about the fact that a dude with a body full of mouths intends to have 'weird' sex with him in the most 'invasive' way possible (Muzan's own words).

-2 _'He had never felt such a frightening rage emitted from the Demon King before.' _

Author: Can you blame him, Tanjirou? Muzan wants that ass and you're taking it from him

_**b. '**Tanjirou did not wait for Muzan to finish what he was saying before he turned and ran straight for the door.'_

Author: How rude! I don't know about you guys, but I feel bad for Muzan here (so bad that I'm laughing at him). Imagine starting to get naked and the person you want to get busy with broke off in a run. I'll be hella mad too…but then I don't have weird mouths all over my body so maybe I can't fully sympathize with the Demon King lol.

Ooooooh I've just realized that this is like a role reversal from what happened in the manga (I did not plan it to be like that as this was written before that part in the manga happened, which makes the coincidence kind of creepy)! Like, in Canon, Muzan was cornered and ran off when he realized that he could not win so they had to chase and fight him...but in this story, Tanjirou is the one who's running off and who will have to be chased down and who will (probably) have to fight. Oh how the tables have turned...

**-3 '**_I just need to get out of this house and I can lose him. I'm sure of it. I can do it. I can do it. I can—' _

Author: Are you okay, Tanjirou? Your sentence cut off so suddenly there…I wonder what happened to you… ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) What do you think: Did he get away from his dangerous Demon Daddy?

b. **IMPORTANT: **Let me just say…Muzan is a damn jerk in this story (just as how Tanjirou always calls him). Like….now you all see what he has been doing (I hope). By increasing Tanjirou's agitation from the minute he walked through that door (with initially giving him a false sense of safety from punishment then teasing him, sexually molesting him, hinting at what would happen, watching him hungrily, dragging out his striptease and showing off those grotesque body mouths), he's been manipulating him into getting stressed enough to attempt to escape. He even deliberately left the door open and made sure to warn him not to escape. It's a whole psychological game—hence the 'mind games' tag. His strategy was solid:

\- If Tanjirou listens and obediently submits to the sex, Tanjirou would break down mentally, thinking that he should have fought harder to get away.

\- If Tanjirou fights back and he (Muzan) wins, he can use that as a strategy to prove to him that there is no escape from him and that no matter how hard he fights he (Muzan) will always win.

Now, the next chapter would be the climax of this story—not the sexual kind of climax you filthy reader. It's the big fight that would determine the future of our little mind-broken uke-to-be. There are a lot of things he's going to have to overcome in order to win. One small mistake and it will be all over. Ganbare Tanji-kun!

Ah yes….I really love Tanjirou's character and I hurt when I see the Mangaka hurting him…like damn, he needs a break! He's too kind for all that suffering! But then…I do worse to him in my story. I don't understand it.

Anyhow, see you in the story's climax! I'm going back to write. I've been writing since 3am yesterday morning. It's now 1am...the next day, but I like doing this because I think to myself that someone out there smiles when they see an update, and that even if there is no sex at this point that they like the way I write and it cheers up their day. Stay well, folks.

* * *

**REFERENCES / IMPORTANT FOOTNOTES**:

[1] _"I can fuck you the way I want to without killing you." _Author: Muzan told him this in Chapter 15

[2] Author: The mention of demon blood arts – Manga Chapter 10

.

* * *

**A SPECIAL NOTE:**

**GUEST: A**ww don't be anxious! Updates usually happen 2x a month but lately I've been updating 1x a week or 2x a week because I'm obsessed. Thanks for reading this!

**REN:A**h oh no lmao I'm so sorry for all the cliffhangers but tbh they will keep getting worse! Especially as we've now approached the actual torture that would determine whether Tanjirou gets broken or not. Tanjirou has realized that he is fighting a bigger battle than he thought and he will give it his all to endure but...Muzan isn't giving up either! LOL Idk if I'm an angel or a demon at heart either xD Especially with how I both hurt when I hurt Tanjirou and I also feel happy when I hurt him :o

As for writing tips, I would say that you're on the right (ahaha no pun intended) track because one needs to have determination to succeed! With creative hobbies (e.g. art and writing) you got to have a strong will to tolerate what would definitely be some really crappy first drafts. Like, you wouldnt want to see the first drafts for the future snippets I wrote. CRINGE. At times, I honestly want to throw my laptop out the window when I read it and sometimes I stare at the computer screen trying to figure out how to phrase a particular action or correct a sentence I previously drafted that sounds terrible to me. Whenever you start thinking that your draft is bad, never throw it out. Tell yourself that it is a template that you will build on in the future and that the important thing is that you WROTE something. If it annoys you to the point that you want to yeet it and yourself into the stratosphere, walk away from the computer and get some water to drink or go talk to your pet (not human pet...). Once you accept that your first work is just a template and that templates are not supposed to be perfect, the sky is the limit! This was the hardest thing for me to learn in both art and writing and I'm still learning it.

What you gotta do is keep returning to your template and revising it. Keep polishing it like a diamond and when it's ready, your spirit will tell you. Also, write...write...write! I write alllllllllll the time and spend many hours a day on it. I write in the bus, at work on my breaks. It's the first thing I do as soon as I wake and the last thing I do before I sleep. It doesn't matter what you write...even if it's just journal entries. Remember in the KNY manga, the ghost girl Makomo told Tanjirou that he has to train until he feels like he'd die if he wants to get better? Yeah...that advice holds true here got to apply yourself with a near insane devotion. But remember to rest and take care of your body in between tasks!

Also, observe the world and write short paragraphs about the things you see that catch your interest. This is a very important thing for writers. Imo we cannot write if we don't fine tune our observation skills. I have such a huge love for describing the world, and feelings in words. Sometimes, when I'm walking, the sky and clouds might catch my attention, or I'll see a poor dead bird on the ground and that would spark something in me and a strong urge to write. Observing and writing will also train your brain to learn how to process and present information in a way that would become your very own writer style.

Thank you so very much for your kind words. I don't consider myself to be a good writer, just someone who loves to write a little too much and someone who hopes that people would enjoy it. So I'm very happy that you like my writing style as I worry that I'm too boring or overly descriptive. The more you work at something the better you get! I hope that my tips will help you. These are the things I've done that have helped me. Good luck in all you do!

Yes, and Muzan is a total meanie! Did you read my 'important' section in the end notes? See what he's been doing all this time with the mind games? Tanjirou hadn't even realized it, but his torture started since Muzan arrived!

And you too, please eat well and stay hydrated!

****NANINONDESUKA: A****wwww thank you! There will definitely be more of this!

****ACJMONKEYAJ: T****hank you very much! It's good to know other writers are enjoying this work :o Same here, I really love it when main characters get that sense of danger and they have absolutely no idea what's coming at them haha! Hehe the question is IF Tanjirou ever escapes captivity muahahahaha x'D Good luck with all your writing!

****Kanon58: T****hank you for all your wonderful comments! you gave me a good chuckle with how you wanted to go to bed but then in the end didn't haha. And then how you were wishing for there not to be a cliffhanger and when you reached the cliffhanger you were like 'I hate you.' LOL reading your comments was like watching a train speeding toward a cliff without knowing there's a cliff. Also, Muzan is going to be such a creep in this story so prepare thineself! I love MuzanTan too! I just have a weakness for the enemies to lovers trope! As for why the Pillars didn't try harder to save Tanjirou, the answer is that they did. They worked so hard. They had spent the whole 30 days since Muzan had kidnapped him doing their best, searching all over Japan, but with no success :( And what you read was their urgent meeting after 30 days had elapsed with repeated failures. Muzan is just too good at hiding. Remember, Muzan was able to hide from a blood thirsty Yorichii that was out for his head, so he's mastered the skill of being incognito. As for the sex, it's coming (lol) and it will be intense... Thanks for deciding to check this out!

**GUEST: A**hahaha! You caught me! I can't help it...both Gotouge and myself are sadists it seems. Love to torture the reader but for me it always happens even when I try not to :'D You'll find out more soon! Chapter 17, I'm posting this a day after 16 and Chapter 18 I'm going to post in a week.

Thanks for your kind words! I have to increase my water intake...I did so poorly today. Been trying to take occasional breaks and walk around too, because like you said, our bodies do get weaker from the lack of outdoor!

Hehehe don't worry, soon not only the reader, but Tanjirou would be getting teased xDDD Ahhhhhaaha I hope that I was able to capture the grossness of Muzan's body mouths, but if not, they will get super duper gross in a couple chapters. Poor Tanjirou indeed! He can never ever be ready for what awaits him!

Thanks so much for your support! Always happy to have it

****GUEST: L****ol! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Oh yeah, Muzan and Tanjirou can hear you. Tanjirou wants to ask "What have I ever done to you...?" and Muzan is like "So you want me to f+ck him, hm?"

Well...be careful what you wish for because when they start, they might not stop...for a long time xD All this sweetly painful build-up is for an oh so sweeter...and probably painful...climax...for Tanjirou :o If my internal writer doesnt change things with the next edit, the chapter after the next (19) should be when the action starts!

* * *

Thank you everyone for giving this story a chance. Please do not do like Tanjirou and run away from quarantine. Your health is important. Stay safe and see you again!


	18. A Battle for Freedom PART I: The Demon

Notes:

A little delay in my planned weekly update, but that's because I was preparing a…**DOUBLE UPDATE! DOUBLE UPDATE**! And an ACTION-PACKED one too! The next part of this double will be up in a few hours when I'm done with the final edit.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh ...MUZANTAN…. 🐺🐥!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Oooh boy let me tell ya. I've been so motivated to write smut lately and I'm sooooo happy because writing sex is hard (no pun intended lol). It's like I tell ppl; sex scenes are hella difficult to write because sex is a pretty straightforward thing and can get pretty boring to read if one doesn't put effort into it or feel motivated to write it. And it doesn't help that I am very critical about how a sex scene I do is written. I like my full scenes to be very long, emotional, realistic, graphic and uh Idk interesting? lol.

The non-con ones especially are taxing since, as the writer, I put myself in the headspace of the characters—the ones receiving **_and _**the ones being cruel—so switching between personalities and feeling their emotions throughout the experience tends to make me feel pretty messed up after (it is fun nonetheless). Thus, as I put my entire consciousness into writing R18 I usually can't write them for long before I get burnt out and in need of a mental rest.

But these past few days…wow I've surprised myself! I wrote several scenes for some disgusting, cruel and humiliating stuff for much later chapters and they turned out just the way I wanted! I was fangirling real hard over my own MuzanTan content -.- Such sweet ruination… I'm quite proud of such a difficult (for me) achievement. So yeah...I just wanted to make that announcement to let you all know that the writing for later chapters is coming along reasonably well.

Anyways, other than that, I've been drawing a lot in between writing sessions, but I've been remembering to rest my hand and take breaks. Totally don't want to end up in a hand brace again from writing and drawing too much…

UPDATE SCHEDULE

Addressing this again because I got questions about it. I update 2x a month, but lately, I've been updating weekly +/- two or three days depending on how time consuming the final edit is and how much time I've been spending writing for later chapters.

By the way, I hope you all are doing fine and that this DOUBLE update meets you well! Please smile! Now let's get to it!

* * *

Chapter Summary:

PART I+II Summary. Muzan has taken a lot from Tanjirou; his family, peace of mind, freedom, ability to fight back, his job as a proud Demon Slayer and even his humanity, weapon and clothing. In his obsessive quest to train and turn him into the perfect pet, everything was stripped from him…or at least that was what Tanjirou had thought. There were still two things that Muzan had not taken yet: his sanity and his virginity and as his Master prepares to take what he believes is his to claim, Tanjirou knows that as he is now, he cannot fight so he attempts to escape from the future that has been mapped out for him. Is this the right thing to do…?

* * *

Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[BAM]] A blow / lash

[[BANG]] A Punch

[[SLAP]] A really hard slap

[[Badum]]: Heartbeats

[[PANT]] Heavy breathing

[[SWIP]] / [[SWOOSH]] Movement

[[HUFF]] Laboured breathing

"Hah" A thorough exhale

_"Memory of a conversation."_

_'Conversation within Tanjirou's consciousness'_

"Heh.": A laugh

**_'Muzan speaking telepathically to Tanjirou'_**

**_Tanjirou's demon consciousness speaking telepathically to him_**

* * *

**_CHAPTER BONUS? YES! AUDIO AVAILABLE. SEE END NOTES_**

* * *

__Cut away the despair__

_Even with all I've lost, even with all I've lost_

_I have no choice but to keep living_

_Even if I am beaten down_

_There are things to protect_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 18: A Battle For Freedom: PART I:The Demon Inside Me

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Present; **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

_I can't…worry about that now. Just a few more steps!_

_Just a few more seconds and I would be free._

_All I need is to get out of this house and I can lose him. I'm sure of it. I can do it. I can do it. I can—_

[[SLAM]]

"…!" **H**E WAS VAGUELY AWARE OF something hitting him from behind before everything went black.

_The…doorway…_

_Muzan….escape…hurt…_

His thoughts were jumbled.

_Ugh…_

_Where…am I…?_

Tanjirou tried to move but could not. Within the space where he lay, it was as though there was a heaviness in his soul and the everlasting darkness that he beheld made him wonder whether his eyes were open or not.

He felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into it.

Cold.

Dark.

Disturbing.

_Am I…dead…?_

"…!"

_Ah…!_

A sudden sharp ache went through his head.

So much pain, yet it was no surprise how, even in the darkness of the nothingness that surrounded him, he was aware of the aching in his head.

But apart from that initial response, he barely reacted as being hurt, whether physically or emotionally, was a familiar feeling for him.

Pain was what had been following him for most of his life—and what he had been made to become overly acquainted with in the past thirty-one days of his tortures. Now it clung to him so profoundly that it had followed him even into the realm of his unconsciousness.

_Ah…this pain…so intense. I guess that means I'm alive. _

_In that case, I must be unconscious._

.

_ "Fighting will achieve nothing."_

_._

As he became more aware of where he was, the same brainwashing drivel that Muzan would always say to him repeated over and over in his mind[1].

_._

_ "Fighting will achieve nothing."_

_ "Fighting will achieve nothing." _

_._

Then, as if on cue, he heard Muzan speak to him, his powerful baritone drowning out the psychological conditioning in the background of his mind.

**_'I told you to not run away from me.'_**

_Ah…I…really am not…dead…_

_I can hear Master's voice…he's talking to me. _

**_ 'I warned you about my sadistic side.'_**

**_'Now you're like this. You made me hurt you. You're too stubborn, Tanjirou.'_**

**_'Every time you get hurt… It's all your fault for always getting me so angry.'_**

**_'Why can't you listen to me for once? Fighting will achieve nothing. You're my property. What are you even fighting against? The fact that you belong to me?'_**

**_'If that's the case, then I'm just going to have to pound my ownership into your body until you're aware of your place.'_**

_._

_He's right, _Tanjirou acknowledged, although he did not respond to Muzan. _If I didn't run away…I wouldn't have gotten hurt._

As Tanjirou hovered in the partial void of insentience, he was close to giving up when he suddenly heard a voice.

_"Wake up, big brother!"_

It was Shigeru's voice and his tone was incredibly urgent, said in the way his brother would call for him when something needed his immediate attention.

_Shigeru-kun…?_

"Urrrgh…" In the real world, Tanjirou groaned and his eyelashes fluttered but Muzan's implanted brainwashing tried to keep him subservient.

.

_"Fighting will achieve nothing."_

.

_Master's voice…I need to listen. I—_

_"Big brother…!"_

That shout was loud enough to cut through the fog in his brain.

_"Don't lose…! Fight…!"_

Tanjirou's brow furrowed. _'Fight'…?_

_"Don't give up!"_

_Huh…?_

_Oh, yeah…_

_I...was running…right…? Trying to escape…_

_ I have…to wake up…to get away… can't give up…_

"…" _My body… _Vaguely, he was aware of being dragged as though someone was pulling him.

_Wake up…wake up…_

_ I have to get away._

_ I have to get away…!_

"Hah…!" Tanjirou woke with a start to see that he was back in the room where he was being kept prisoner, with the doorway far from him again.

[[Badum]]

Lying on the wooden flooring on his tummy, the floor was moving under him.

[[Badum]]

Or maybe he was the one moving…

"…?!" His mind made the connection, instantly linking his present state to what had happened to him prior.

_I was running away…_

_Muzan attacked and knocked me out._

He blinked, realizing that the sensation of being dragged was real and the reason why the doorway was far away once more was due to his body being pulled back to Muzan along the smooth hardwood floor.

_Ah…_

_My escape…it failed…._

_He's going to have sex with me now._

_He's going to break my mind…_

Hopelessness filled his heart.

He considered surrendering.

_If I…surrender…he might go easy on me…_

.

_ "Fighting will achieve nothing." _

_._

_Yes. It will achieve—_

_No!_

Like a blaze of life in the dying embers of a fire, his desire for freedom overpowered his body's innate desire to submit to its king.

_No…! I will fight! I…can't give up…!_

_I am strong. I can do this…!_

"Let go of me!" Tanjirou shouted, pulling and struggling to get out of Muzan's hold. "Let…go…!" But when his attempts at yanking his foot out of the grip of whatever it was that was holding on to him failed, he tried harder, even pushing far beyond the limits of his humanity in order to escape.

.

_"'Now…I am such a demon…'"_

_"'I'm sure that I have special abilities.'"_

_"'Muzan said that I took a lot of his blood last night. He would not be so determined to convert me if he did not sense something special**[2]**.'"_

_._

_Special…that's right. I need to find what is special about me and then…use that…!_

_._

_"'To use that would mean acknowledging that I'm a demon…!"_

_ "I won't use that."_

_ "I can make it through this and escape him with my own strength!'"_

.

His previous thoughts and feelings of disgust over his new state bombarded him, trying to get him to halt his efforts of tapping into his demonhood, but Tanjirou pushed his way past those preconceived notions and doubts that he held within the upper echelons of his personal morality code.

_I have to use those abilities! _He reminded himself, whilst plunging into his subconscious to confront his demon body's consciousness. In the real world, his body went still as his spirit entered his mind._ I'm stronger as a demon. I'm sure of it! _

_That's the only way I'll be able to get out of this…! I have to control my demon body's abilities…! Make them mine…!_

A large gilded door stood in his way to form the demarcation between his mind and body. It was a mighty door; infinitely high and the only visible thing in the black void of his mind.

He attempted to unlock the door but its handle disappeared from under his hand as though his demon consciousness had sensed what he was planning to attempt and was actively trying to stop him.

[[KNOCK]]

[[KNOCK]]

[[KNOCK]]

He tried knocking on the door, but that failed to get a response too.

Tanjirou was aware that time was running out and as his desperation mounted, he kicked that door open without a second thought.

"…! !" What happened next was something he was terribly unprepared for.

Through the aperture that had been created, a dark shadow jumped him, throwing him to the ground with such force that the breath left him in a rush.

_'…?!'_

**_How dare you approach me like this?!_**

**_You're so bold! Ignoring me all this time, but coming here only when you want to use me?!_**

_'…?!' _Tanjirou was surprised. His demon consciousness had spoken to him. The voice sounded like a garbled mess, but he was able to understand it.

**_I know what you're planning, and I won't allow it!_**

_'…?'_ Tanjirou grabbed at the wrists of the hands pushing at his face.

Those hands felt as cold as ice and every time they touched him, he felt more and more hopeless.

**_I won't allow your insubordination!_**

An unexpected battle was unfolding between him and his demon side within the realm of his mind while in the real world, Muzan was pulling him back into the room.

**_You want to hurt Master! _**The voice shouted. **_I won't give you my power! Not to do that! Never…!_**

_'…!' _Tanjirou could see nothing in the blackness around him, but its form was darker than even the dark they were enveloped in so he was aware that this figure had a humanoid shape.

And judging by the weight sitting atop him, he guessed that it was the same weight as he was.

_'Ack!' _The hands shifted from pushing at him to wrapping themselves around his neck and squeezing tightly.

**_I won't give up…! _**The voice shouted. **_Don't make me kill you. I will take this body and serve Master like you should be._**

**_Accept him, or else I'll kill you…! Accept him…!_**

_'Ah…!'_ Tanjirou gasped, suffocating under the weight pressing him down. His demon consciousness was fighting him hard, forcing him to accept Muzan's dominance, but Tanjirou fought back even harder.

**_I won't forgive you if you hurt him…!_**

_'Then don't forgive me…!' _Tanjirou shouted back, rolling over to pin the solid shadow to the ground. He sat on its waist to hold it down. _'See if I care about what you think…!'_

[[SLAP]]

[[BANG]]

**_Stop it…! _**The voice suddenly sounded alarmed when Tanjirou slapped, then punched it square in the jaw.

[[SLAP]]

**_Are you crazy…!? Don't… _**It pleaded as Tanjirou's hands went to its neck and immediately squeezed tighter than it had been choking him.**_ Ack! Stop! You're hurting me…!_**

_'I won't lose…' _The rage and determination flared in Tanjirou's eyes. '_I won't lose…! I won't lose…!'_

**_I'm going to die…! Stop…! _**

_'I won't stop,' _Tanjirou hissed. '_Not until you belong to me.'_

**_…? ? ?_**

With Tanjirou's demand, the shadowed body under him went still as though giving in. And then he felt it.

"…?!" He was repelled so hard that his spirit was kicked out of his consciousness and back into the room with Muzan. Immediately, he re-entered his body and as he did, a sudden rush of power unlike anything he had ever known before speared through him.

The latent demon abilities within him were now his to use. It was too late to turn back. In his desperate quest to free himself from Muzan's powerful grip, he had made the decision to attack his demon consciousness to gain the advantage that would help him to escape.

Now….

The reward was amazing. This strength burning in his veins and bubbling into his muscles and joints was like nothing he had experienced before. If he could compare it to anything, it was like that moment when Makomo had first taught him how to properly use his Breaths[3].

.

_"Total concentration breathing accelerates your blood flow and heartbeat. And your temperature shoots up. You're still human, but you get strong like a demon. You expand your lungs and bring lots of air into your blood. Your blood gets excited and your bones and muscles thrill. You get hot and strong!"_

.

Tanjirou felt all of this, but it was at least ten times more intense. Being as strong as a demon was nothing compared to being a strong demon. His mind was now able to manipulate the strength of the demon he was, and this was so far different than what he was used to as a Slayer with the advantage that his Breaths had given him.

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

Tanjirou was sure that with the way he was feeling, his new strength was akin to that belonging to one of Muzan's former Upper Moons, especially with the fact that he was using his Focus Breathing along with his connection to his demon body.

A demon with the use of the Slayer-developed Breathing Technique…

This new strength and awareness was out of control.

His fangs were lengthening, blood was pumping faster, his sense of smell and hearing was amplified and the awkwardness in his deprived muscles was gone.

The world around him was looking crisper and more detailed.

As necessary as it was, Tanjirou was aware that what he had done was quite dangerous. By tapping into his demon powers and wrestling control of it from his demon body's consciousness, he had taken a taste of something highly addictive.

He had created a link to his dark side and opened himself up to being eventually corrupted by Muzan or having his own demon body corrupt him slowly.

_It's a risk, but I have to risk to get away. Even if that means using this bodies' abilities, I can do this!_

His focus returned to his situation at hand where Muzan was still dragging him backwards. Now that this demon strength was his to use…

"I said…" Tanjirou anchored his hands on the ground by pressing his palms down flat and pulled hard on his leg. His biceps strained with the tension. "I said…let me go…!"

_Ah…!_

The force of pulling away from Muzan catapulted him a little way ahead and he rolled across the floor in a rough tumble, but Tanjirou did not hesitate.

Mid-roll, he immediately re-routed the movement, jumped up and dashed in the direction of the doorway.

_I'll make it…! I'll make it—_

"…!" Tanjirou's incredible senses picked up on the attack before it landed and he dodged in time.

[[SLAM]]

When it missed him, it hit the floor hard and Tanjirou felt the reverberations in his heart.

_Don't get distracted…!_

_Don't get distracted…!_

_Don't get scared…!_

_No! I…can't give up…! I…can't give up! _He repeated to himself, starting the mantras he used to do back when he trained with Gyōmei. _I can't give up!_

The mantras, those repetitive actions designed to increase his focus[4], consisted of the strength he found in all the things that gave him the hope to never give up; like the thoughts of his family and Rengoku's words to him about endurance.

_Mom, dad…everyone…_

As his focus started to increase with these repetitions, Tanjirou became so sensitive that in the background, even as he was concentrating on escaping Muzan, he picked up on his demon body's consciousness moving.

Now that there was a connection between them, it was slithering, trying to creep into his mind to pollute and take control of him, but he completed his repetitions by remembering Rengoku's words.

.

_"Set your heart ablaze!"_

_._

_'Set your heart ablaze', Tanjirou! _He told himself. _Fight! Don't give up! Increase your focus!_

_Arghhh…!_

_'I will control you!' _He told his demon consciousness. '_You **will **listen to me and do as I say! Behave!'_

With that, he pushed it back with all the force he could manage and kept it pinned down with only his thoughts.

His mental strength was increasing with his determination to try harder.

And he was succeeding in his attempts to subjugate his demon body whilst parrying the attacks being thrown at him by his Master.

[[SWIP]]

One of Muzan's attacks whizzed past his face.

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

_Good…! I dodged that…!_

Tanjirou celebrated this minor victory, but as he moved, he noticed that his sensitivity had increased his awareness of even the wetness sliding down to his cheek and dripping onto his shoulder.

_Blood._

It was permeating his senses with its sweet smell—something that was a bit too distracting— and momentarily, Tanjirou felt a bit of hunger tear through him.

He was bleeding from the head injury that had knocked him out, but worst of all, he was feeling hungry for his own blood…

[[HUFF]]

[[PANT]]

He had been hit really hard so even though the injury had already healed, the blood that had collected into his hair was still running down the side of his face under the influence of gravity.

_Don't get distracted…! _Tanjirou reminded himself. _It's **your **blood! Control yourself! Muzan is fighting hard! Focus! This fight would determine your fate!_

[[HUFF]]

He took a deep breath.

_Go Tanjirou…go…!_

Tanjirou pushed forward.

_You…can't give up…!_

His ability to tap into the see-through-world[5] was clearer and easier to use than before; aiding him all while he ran, complementing his already gifted senses, and boosting his accuracy in utilizing his natural abilities and those acquired from being converted into a demon.

[[SWIP]]

The way Tanjirou moved was splendid.

The evidence of his successful merge with his demon body was evident.

He had adapted so well that it was as though this body had been his own all his life and using its reflexes with ease was a simple feat.

[[SWOOSH]]

His speed was impressive for one who had lost quite a bit of muscle tone and he was faster than he had been as a human, as well as a lot more competent at making the right moves to evade the attacks Muzan was aiming at him.

His body moved like a quiet yet rapid stream of water and it was near impossible for Muzan to land a hit.

He was actually putting up a decent fight against a powered up Muzan who was not weakened by anything.

[[SLAM]]

_Move! _Before each attack, Tanjirou smelled a spike in Muzan's excitement. It was minuscule, almost too small to pick up on, but he did.

It was as though Muzan was angered by his escape attempt but at the same time, was also having fun.

He was clearly playing with him, like the way a cat would play with its food either until it played with it to death—or bit its head off.

[[SLAM]]

"Again. You managed to escape that," came the cool voice behind Tanjirou. "But how long can you keep this up? This room is big, but you'll soon be cornered."

_No. No. No! _Tanjirou felt the burn in his muscles from the exertion. His demon body was quickly adjusting to listening to his demands, but it was still hard to override Muzan's compulsion, his body's obedience to its Master, and his mental fatigue…all while his demon body's consciousness lurked on the outskirts of his mental barrier.

[[SLAM]]

"Ah…!" That one almost hit him and Tanjirou jumped to the side.

A stream of blood ran down his arm where he had been grazed.

"Heh ❤~ " Muzan laughed. "Can you reach the door in time?" He teased. "It's still pretty far, you know~~"

_He really is playing with me…! _Tanjirou thought in a panic, _Yet he's aiming to kill me…?! _

_He knows that it's inevitable that I'll be caught._

_No. No. Don't think like that, Tanjirou! You won't be caught! _

_Have some faith!_

_But… My ability to evade his attacks are limited since I'm trapped in this room!_

_No. Stop it. Stop thinking like that!_

_You can do this._

"…" Eyes trained on the open space of the doorway, Tanjirou put every effort of concentration into his reluctant feet to make them take him to that escape.

_Got to get away! Got to—_

That doorway was the beacon of light to his freedom and just as his feet reached the threshold_…_

_Yes—_

_[[Swoosh]]_

_No...!_

_xxx_

* * *

_No matter the pain_

_Go forward (go forward), go forward (go forward), keep going ahead (keep going ahead)_

**—_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

* * *

Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

* * *

**Chapter Bonus?: **Please see my twitter for the link to the chapter audio that I did! Also, I did the updated character card for Tanjirou and posted it there. Remember, if you want to see a history of all the posted media, you can click on the link in the header and then click the tab that says "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination)"

* * *

**Next Chapter Title:** A Battle For Freedom PART II: You're a Monster

****Next Chapter Teaser:****Tanjirou put up a mighty battle. He dominated his demon body and made its powers his, but was all that effort still not enough? Unfortunately, his battle continues and Tanjirou takes his fight to the limit. Can his determination to make this difficult escape pay off? Or will Muzan manage to catch his stubborn pet?

* * *

**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter**

**(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):**

****My oh my...****

**-1 **'_I will control you! _He told his demon consciousness. _You **will **listen to me and do as I say!'_

Author: Good news! Tanjirou's determination helped him to dominate his demon side.

**-2** _[[Swoosh]]_

_No...!_

Author: Bad news! Tanjirou's not the only one who's determined to win this battle…

**_b) How dare you approach me like this?!_**

Author: I swear it was not intentional...and it was after writing this, that I thought of the meme from jjba with Dio and Jotaro where Dio tells him "Oh? You're approaching me?" xD

But if I am to be completely honest, that meeting between Tanjirou and his demon consciousness has the same energy lol

**c) **'_Master's voice…I need to listen_'

Author: Remember! Whenever Tanjirou refers to Muzan as 'Master', he is not aware that he is doing this. This kind of shows that Muzan's brainwashing is slowly working on him. Whenever he is in his right mind he calls him 'Muzan' (or 'jerk', 'bastard' or demon-jerk-bastard') and whenever his mental capabilities are slipping, he calls him 'Master' -usually in his thoughts and never to his face. He still hasn't slipped so low to make the mistake to call him 'Master' out loud. Maybe one day? Who knows...

**-3 _I won't give you my power! Not to do that! Never…!_**

Author: Yay so we see that Tanjirou's demon body's consciousness (first mentioned in Chapter 4) can speak to him! Alright, so just in case you're confused as to why Tanjirou's demon consciousness gave up after it was so determined to keep Tanjirou away from using its power to hurt Muzan, there are several reasons. This will be addressed in later chapters, but here's three:

a) Tanjirou beat it fair and square

b) It's hoping that the link Tanjirou created between them would aid in helping Muzan to take full control of him(Tanjirou).

c) It's deceiving Tanjirou. The thing is, Tanjirou's demon body is a horny bitch. Remember from chapter 4 how the demon body was getting super horny from Muzan sitting on top of Tanjirou? Right. Well it knows that even with its power, Tanjirou cannot hurt their Master. And it knows that if Tanjirou fights back and Muzan gets angrier, the sexing would be more intense ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ What a slut.

ii. **_I'm going to die…!_**

Author: Of course, it doesn't mean 'death' in the traditional sense, as within the realm it shares with Tanjirou's conscious mind, it is without a body to 'kill'. It was talking about fading away, showing that if Tanjirou had succeeded at killing it at that point, he would have had full control of their body; just as how it was threatening Tanjirou to kill him and take control.

**Tanjirou's demon body consciousness**™ (an ominous-looking dark shadow even in a lit room): 'This bitch (Tanjirou) is crazy….if he wants my power so badly, he can have it.' *puts large tub of buttered popped corn on lap and starts eating (container is oddly visible and colored while it is not)*

**Tanjirou's demon body consciousness**™**:** 'But this is going to be a good show…'

**Author**: *suddenly appears seated next to it* 'A good show indeed. Same thought here, man. Sameee.' *dips hand into popcorn*

**Author: **'It's gonna be epic when he gets wrecked'

**Tanjirou's demon body consciousness**™**:** 'Yeah-wait...Um…who are you…?'

**Author: **'A comrade in Tanji-kun's ruination.'

**Tanjirou's demon body consciousness**™: '...'

**Tanjirou's demon body consciousness**™**:** 'Ah, ok. Sounds legit' *Shrugs*

* * *

**REFERENCES / IMPORTANT FOOTNOTES**:

[1] _'__the same brainwashing drivel Muzan would always say to him repeated over and over in his mind'_ Author: Muzan's behavior manipulation and implantation of subliminal cues in Tanjirou's subconscious was explained in Chapter 11.

[2] Author: This part where Tanjirou was thinking about his possible demon abilities is from the last Chapter.

[3] _'__that moment when Makomo had first taught him how to properly use his Breaths'_ Author: Manga Chapter 5

[4]_ '__The mantras, those repetitive actions designed to increase his focus'_ Author: Manga Chapter 135

[5] _'His ability to tap into the see-through-world'_ Author: Manga chapter 152

* * *

**A SPECIAL NOTE:**

**GUEST: H**i! I'm doing alright, thanks! Just dying every day in the heat! I hope that things are okay with you too. Please stay well! !

**REN: H**ello! Thank you! You'll be happy to know that this quarantine has me eating more fruits and fresh fish than I'm used to! I hope that you are doing the same too. Please take care!

**KANON 58: O**oooh yes, the quarantine got extended for two more weeks where I am and I'm stilllll writing writing writing like I'm possessed lol. And I've been writing for a lot of later parts in the story that were giving me problems so that's good! The only downfall about quarantine is being at home in 100F weather T_T

**ACJMONKEYAJ: L**ol! You're so mean to Muzan-sama! Ahaha I can't really talk bc I am mean to him too (remembers laughing at him bc Tanjirou left him) *sweating* As for Tanjirou escaping, I wouldnt lie but your sweet hopes for Tanji-kun having an easy time made me smile in sadistic delight...sorry. Idk why but I sympathize so much for Tanjirou's suffering to the point that it hurts my heart terribly and I just want to hug him, but then he will have so many difficulties in this story...I get so high on the angst. Oooooh and congrats on getting to the third installment of your trilogy! I'm genuinely so happy for you because writing can be hard at times when there's so much going on in life. You're doing well.

Best way to end your comment was with that 'I hope Tanjirou makes it out okay' line. Made me smile. Thank you! And thanks for your honest review!

**GHOSTiii: L**ol! You frightened the poor doggo! That made me laugh so hard xD Thank you!

******Kanon58: Y******ESSSSSS! The ship is real! And did u read my comments on the latest chap? Even more shippy! Naked Muzan holding on to Tanjirou in the dark void *foaming at the mouth*

WELL. I can tell you that he WON'T be escaping any time soon! Hahahahahahahahahahaha

Nope! This story is far from ending! Muzan has a lot of frustration to take out on Tanjirou so it's not ending until he feels satisfied!

Yep! There's a plot here too! I think! And thank you for complimenting this fic T_T

Ahahaha you and Muzan were both wondering about naked Tanjirou running lmfao. Ahhh Muzan is such a meanie to Tanjirou-kun xD Thanks for your comment!

**NANINONDESUKA: Y**AY! Thanks for your excitement and for checking this out! You get a double update this week!

**REN:A**h Great to know that the update got to you on such a crazy day when you needed it! You're welcome, and remember, there's no need to rush to be a decent writer, just do what you like as often as you are able. Once you pursue it with passion, even if you practice once a day or once a week, you _**will**_ get better! Also, reading is an excellent and oft underestimated way to improve as a writer (that and people watching haha) so you're doing well. I'm glad that you found my tips helpful!

Yup! I know exactly what you mean! For me that Lower Moon kneeling scene was so darn awesome! And ufotable's animation of it was on point - their fear and reverence was so well communicated to the audience! And you got it right, that is exactly what was happening with Tanjirou; Muzan released such a powerful presence and intent that Tanjirou's demon body wanted to submit immediately but Tanjirou's strong mind fought it! Ah yeah and our boy is running after insulting his Master with that rejection but he'd have to pay for such disrespect VERY soon.

'How many cliffhangers are there?' Ahhahaha bold of you to assume that there is an end to these cliffhangers. They won't end until the story ends. There are cliffhangers in regular scenes, cliffhangers in sex scenes...and my personal favorite: cliffhangers within the cliffhangers. And believe me...I did all of this unintentionally. It seems as though making cliffhangers comes naturally to me -.-

You're welcome and no, Muzan will neverrrr put his tongues back into his mouths. As you will see from the title of the 20th chapter, he needs to use them to 're-educate a Slayer' ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

* * *

Thanks everyone for reading and please take care!


	19. A Battle For Freedom PART II: Monster

Notes:

Loooooooooooooooong chapter! With several bonuses! Well it is the chapter before the ruination intensifies so it's special!

It's Part II! The determining factor about whether our poor boy will get away T_T This chapter is going to be very painful for him :o

Oh and I hope you all are okay! We meet again for me to continue telling you the tale of Kamado Tanjirou's ruination! Thank you for stopping by!

I'm telling ya now…this is the last chapter to jump off this train before the insanity hits the fan. More tags are going to unfold bit by bit. For any readers hoping for our boy to get saved soon, not have a hard time or escape before his pain intensifies…ah…well… all I will say is that you guys should look at the story tags…esp the ones that say "The Author Is Sleep Deprived And Out To Destroy Ukes", "Goes from Extremely Non Con To Extremely Dub Con", "It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better ", "Erotic Humiliation", "How Much Is Too Much?", "Tanjirou's Demon Daddy is Very Angry and Very Bitter" and "Kamado Tanjirou Needs A Hug"…

Ahhhhhhhhhhh ... 🐺🐥!

* * *

Chapter Summary:

**PART I+II Summary. **Muzan has taken a lot from Tanjirou; his family, peace of mind, freedom, ability to fight back, his job as a proud Demon Slayer and even his humanity, weapon and clothing. In his obsessive quest to train and turn him into the perfect pet, everything was stripped from him…or at least that was what Tanjirou had thought. There were still two things that Muzan had not taken yet: his sanity and his virginity and as his Master prepares to take what he believes is his to claim, Tanjirou knows that as he is now, he cannot fight so he attempts to escape from the future that has been mapped out for him. Is this the right thing to do…?

**Part Two: **Tanjirou has put up a mighty battle so far. He has dominated his demon body and made its powers his, but was all that effort still not enough? Unfortunately, his battle continues and as Muzan pushes his limits, Tanjirou meets the challenge fearlessly. Can his determination to escape under near-impossible circumstances pay off? Or will Muzan manage to catch his stubborn pet?

* * *

Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[BAM]] A blow / lash

[[Sssssk]] Sound of Tentacle(s) moving

[[Badum]]: Heartbeats

[[PANT]] Heavy breathing

[[HUFF]] Laboured breathing

"Hah" A thorough exhale

_"Memory of a conversation."_

_'"Memory of a thought."'_

"Heh.": A laugh

**_'Telepathic speaking'_**

* * *

**_CHAPTER BONUS? YES! _****_**(3): **Chapter audio available. Also, a discussion on the most recent Manga chapter (203), and a 2000 word mini story are in the end notes (sorry for the long notes…).  
_**

* * *

_Cut away the despair_

_Even with all I've lost, even with all I've lost_

_I have no choice but to keep living_

_Even if I am beaten down_

_There are things to protect_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 19: A Battle For Freedom **PART II You're a Monster…**

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** Present; **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

[[SWOOSH]]

_No!_

**H**E HAD BEEN BUT A mere inch away, when something first swung at his head.

When he sensed the impending attack and ducked that, it swung around, and Tanjirou found himself bending backwards, testing the limits of his flexibility as he went into a ninety degree backward bend at the waist.

[[SWIP]]

_Ah…!_

His chest was parallel to the ceiling, while his feet remained planted on the floor, and he felt the rush of air whizz past his face as something too fast for even his eyes to see passed him with a lethal force.

_Ah!_

But Muzan was not giving him a moment to recover and using his flexible and complicated movement against him, something grabbed onto his ankle to trip him.

[[Thud]]

He fell hard, crashing to the floor with a dull thud.

_Ugh…!_

Whatever it was that had tripped him was wrapped tightly around his ankle.

He was on his tummy again and did not look back to see what it was but used all the demon strength he could muster, and combined with his Breaths to further increase his strength and focus, Tanjirou was able to yank himself free.

"Arrrgh…!"

"Oh? You're so limber it's hard to get a good hold on you," Muzan commented as he reached for Tanjirou again. "You're getting overconfident with the fact that you can wrestle control from me," he growled. "But don't let that get to your head. I'll discipline you and carve my mark into the body you're struggling to reclaim."

"…!" Before Tanjirou could get up, he sensed another attack and rolled to the side.

It slammed into the floor next to him.

[[BAM]]

"…! ! !" That would have surely crushed his arm and leg if he had not moved away in time.

He had no idea what it was that Muzan was attacking him with, but he did his best to not allow it to hit him.

His senses guided him perfectly.

[[SWISH]]

"Oh," Muzan smirked, observing the nimble boy closely. Tanjirou was bending in all sorts of angles to escape his attacks and it was starting to feel as though he was fighting a gymnast. "Damn. I could have beheaded you several times already but you keep avoiding it. Did you get more flexible now that you're a demon…?"

"…" Muzan huffed. "Insolent little cat. Even though your body is mine now… Even though it and your mind is weakened… Your ability to override my commands and manipulate that body so eloquently is seamless." His laugh was low. "That requires a tremendous amount of control and mental strength."

[[SLAM]]

[[SWOOSH]]

He attacked again but missed.

[[SLAM]]

"…" Muzan studied Tanjirou while attacking. It was not that he was aiming badly. He surely was aiming to kill, but it was as though Tanjirou was able make his entire presence disappear completely,[1] and added to his superb catlike reflexes and speed, it was difficult to catch him.

[[THUD]]

"Tanjirou-kun…why are you so remarkable?" Muzan asked. "If I wasn't as skilled as I am to have you constantly on the defensive, you would have escaped already. Mm… I forgot that you're quite strong." He continued to attack, but Tanjirou was able to use his quick reflexes to avoid each. "Now you're stronger than before and…ah… You're making me want to ruin you even more~"

[[Thud]]

"Come on, boy. You're such a tease. Stop playing with me. I can hardly wait anymore… It's time to commence your ruination~"

[[Thud]]

As Tanjirou got up off the floor, there was the sound of another attack landing next to him but he did not let that distract him.

_Go. Go…Go…!_

"Hah…!" Tanjirou let out a harsh breath, powering up his muscles as much as possible for a mad dash towards the open doorway again, but then something—obviously faster than he was—grabbed both his ankles this time.

"Waaaaaaah…!"

He fell hard.

[[THUD]]

His lip was busted and a few teeth came loose, but he could feel the instant regeneration buzzing over his skin and inside his mouth.

Tissues were reconnecting, blood vessels and new teeth were growing in. It tingled, but Tanjirou did not have the frame of mind to think about this or be disturbed that his knocked out teeth were evaporating on the floor in front of him.

His brain was filled with a wild panic about his recapture, combined with a heady rush of pleasure from the taste of blood in his mouth.

"…!" Stuck in a miasma of heaven and hell, Tanjirou felt as though he was high on some kind of forbidden drug.

As a demon, it was his first taste of blood, albeit his own, and his brain was going crazy with it.

_Blood blood blood blood blood blood—_

"You're not allowed to get away, Kamado Tanjirou," Muzan told him sternly. "Come."

The sound of his Master's voice breaking into his warped thoughts sobered him up instantly, reminding him of his situation and Tanjirou gasped.

_I can't let him recapture me…!_

But this time, in spite of Tanjirou's enhanced strength and agility, aided by his Breaths, he could not break free.

_[[Swooshhh]]_

As he was pulled back, with his body skidding along the floor, closer and closer to Muzan, Tanjirou felt the hopelessness of his situation like a dark cloud settle over him.

[[HUFF]]

[[PANT]]

Hope had been snatched away from him.

_There's no way I'll get another chance to escape!_

_It's all over…!_

And like a hapless victim in a cheesy horror movie, Tanjirou started to scream as he struggled.

"No no no no no! Let me go! I don't want to do this!" He wailed. "I don't want to do this! I don't want to have sex…!"

"What's the matter with you?" Muzan asked. "Weren't you the one clamouring for my attention all these years?"

"Weren't you the one so bold to come chasing after me, demanding that I focus on you while I was with my family in Asakusa?" He scoffed. "You'd said then, _'__I'll follow you to the ends of Hell,'_ yet now that you're with me you're running?"

"I didn't want this kind of attention! And that wasn't even your real family!" Tanjirou argued while doing his best to fight the force of being pulled back to Muzan. "Their feelings for you, their connection to you…it was all fake—!"

"You insect…! !" Muzan interrupted in a vile shout full of rage. "What do you know?!"

"It **_wasn't_** fake!" He was breathing heavily and red-faced, seeming to have lost his temper for a moment before he regained control almost instantly and returned to wearing his usual apathetic mask. "Whatever. Nothing a lowly pet like you says, matters anyway."

"…" Tanjirou blinked in confusion.

_Did Muzan get offended because I called his family's connection to him fake? But they **were **fake! Their affection was fake! All of it was! _

_The girl and woman did seem to genuinely care about him…I didn't smell any deceit…but they had obviously been bewitched or something! Muzan did not care about them! He was just using them to pass himself off as a human!_

_There's no way someone would love this bastard. It had to be some trick I couldn't see through! ! _

_And…he's probably eaten them already…_

"…" _No. don't get distracted. Focus. _Tanjirou pushed away those thoughts as his glare became fiery again. "Yes! Everything about them was fake! And I meant what I said back then!" He insisted through gritted teeth as his fists clenched on the floor. "I'll follow you to the depths of Hell, and I swear I'll slice off your head with my blade! Even if I'm trying to escape now, I'll be back! And I'll find a way to destroy you!"

"Destroy me? Who do you think you're talking back to in that tone?" Muzan snarled, as a vein popped up on his forehead. That reaction, was the only sign on his wholly calm features that he was becoming irritated. "It's clear that someone needs to teach you some manners."

"Let go!" Tanjirou yelled.

"Not. At. All." Muzan enunciated as he started to drag the boy back to him again. "I'm going to give you exactly what you've been wanting all these years—my full, undivided attention~"

_No!_

"…!" Tanjirou's stress was evident as his brow became knitted with intense worry.

_No…!_

_I can't give up!_

_I have to get out of here!_

_I have to make it to the Corps' Headquarters…!_

_That's the only way I can defeat Muzan!_

.

_[[Scrrreech]]_

_._

With his great desire to escape, his dark red nails had extended, embedding themselves into the floor, clawing at the hardwood, trying to gain traction.

_[[Scrrreeeeeeeeeech]]_

His nails were a powerful tool, seemingly having the ability to lengthen at will and pierce through the hardwood as though it was melted butter, but Muzan possessed a strength that was greater than his, causing him to still be pulled along, and causing those nails to leave deep tracks in the smooth, polished wooden flooring.

"You're ruining my floor, Tanjirou," Muzan commented nonchalantly. "Do you know how expensive these things are to repair? Control yourself."

"No...!" Tanjirou yelled back at him, his eyes still fixed to the bright rectangle of light that represented his freedom, a freedom that was being denied to him as he was pulled away from it and back into the room. "Aaaaagh!"

"Freedom or sex," Muzan's dark voice said from behind him. "I don't care about want you want. We **_will_** bond tonight. I've been waiting long enough to put my mark on you. I will break that stubborn will of yours."

"Oof...!" The air left Tanjirou's lungs in a gasp as he was flipped over onto his back.

"Tonight, I will do whatever I want to your body." Muzan grinned. "Your body belongs to me and if I decide to take your virginity, then I would do just that." His lips turned up into a sneer. "And after I use you however I like, your mind will be open to my dominance. I **_will_** tame you, my pet."

"No—" Tanjirou started, whilst sitting up quickly to hide his privates, but his sentence stopped short when he finally looked over at the Demon King only to realize in a hushed awe that Muzan had not moved from where he had originally been standing. What had been attacking him and also what had grabbed him a minute earlier was the demon's arm.

Apparently, it was able to extend far from his body and behave like a tentacle[2].

"You're a monster..."

"…~" As those words left Tanjirou's lips, a smile stretched across Muzan's face.

"Of course I am a monster," he replied with a smug smile. The arm tentacle around Tanjirou's ankle unwound. "But you'll soon find out that I'm not just **_any_** monster or demon. I am the king of them all…"

"…" Tanjirou's wide-eyed gaze remained locked with his Master's in complete fear.

Arm tentacles, body mouths…tongues… Just what in Heaven's name was about to have sex with him? Would he even survive after having a creature such as this steal his virginity away?

His fear mounted as Muzan's lust climbed higher and higher with each second.

"Mmmm…~" As Muzan's arm returned to his side, two thick, smooth, flesh-coloured tentacles sprouted from his back, coming round with the intention to wrap Tanjirou's wrists. "And now…you're about to be fucked by the king of all monsters, my boy~"

[[Ssssk]]

"No…no…" Tanjirou started to backpedal. One of the tentacles grabbed his ankle to stop his escape.

"Argh!" He vigorously tried to shake his leg free as his fearful eyes watched the tentacle wrapping its way up his leg.

Unnaturally soft but bearing an iron grip, it was covered with veiny protrusions all along its length, similar to the red overgrowth that was rooted to over fifty percent of this Muzan's body.

[[Ssssssk]]

"No…!" As he fought the first tentacle, the second shot forward to grab his other ankle and together with the first, flicked sharply in either direction to spread his legs wide. "Nooo….! S-stop that…! Let go! Let go…!"

"'Let go'?" Muzan asked. "For you to go **_where_** exactly? Do you even know where 'here' is? This mansion is located in the middle of nowhere. Were you planning to just run out the front door, down the mountainside, through the forest and into the deserted streets hoping to meet a kind stranger you could ask for help?"

When Tanjirou said nothing, Muzan hissed, "What a joke. Do you think you're some cute child, like Hansel and Gretel and that you'll escape being kidnapped with some effort? Come on, Tanjirou, this is no fairy tale and you're not cute. You look like a disgusting beast. Who would help you?"

"…?!" Tanjirou said nothing. He had no idea who these 'Hansel' and 'Gretel' children were. He figured that they were fictional characters, as Muzan had said something about a 'fairy tale', but he did not want to ask about it and then suffer being mocked again as an ignorant 'country boy'. So he gritted his teeth and while trying to not be offended by Muzan's words about him being a 'disgusting monster', he reached for and started to pull at the tentacle around his leg with both hands.

But using the grip he had on his legs, Muzan yanked him forward and the force dislodged Tanjirou's hands from trying to free his leg and made him fall flat on his back.

"Ah…!" Tanjirou gasped.

"Look at this~" Muzan started in a teasing tone, raising his tentacles to lift and spread Tanjirou's legs wide again. "Are you an Exhibitionist? Escaping naked to show people your embarrassingly small and flaccid penis? ~"

"What?!" Tanjirou momentarily stopped struggling and his entire face blushed a deep, dark shade of red as his gaze went down to the body part Muzan was looking at. What was he supposed to say to that?

"…" Grudgingly, he noted that Muzan was right, not about the size of his penis, but about his escape plan. What had he been hoping to achieve?

Running out there at night, naked and looking as he was, someone might shoot him rather than help him.

"Oh, Tanjirou…~" Muzan's laughter was cruel as another of his tentacles came forward to caress Tanjirou's bare, bound leg from his ankle to his upper thigh.

Silently, he noted that Tanjirou had nice legs. They were short and shapely with nicely muscled thighs. Also, Tanjirou did not have much body hair and his skin was surprisingly soft.

"…~" When this observation of his submissive's limb made the boy tremble in a type of vague sexual awareness that Tanjirou seemed to be wholly shocked and confused by, Muzan's smile widened. "Oh…you're pretty sensitive aren't you? You seem like the type to have erogenous zones all over your body. It will be fun to discover each and every one of them. Mmm…how entertaining you are, Tanji-kun. I haven't even put my dick in you and you're already giving me a good time~~"

"W-wait…!" Tanjirou protested as Muzan reached out to touch his leg as though needing to feel his skin under his palm.

"Ah and what a silly boy you are too." Muzan laughed, whilst running a finger around the perimeter of Tanjirou's foot then down the back of his leg over his calf. "Fighting me when you know I'm stronger and plotting to escape in your condition. You're not mind-broken yet and it's like you've already lost your mind—"

"Argh…!" Tanjirou could not take much more of Muzan's insults and borderline sexual teasing. He was starting to feel weird, and added to that, the tentacle rubbing over his thigh was slowly inching downwards, getting dangerously close to his groin.

"Just….stop it…!" He shouted, regaining enough of his sensibilities to yank one, then the other foot out of the tight grip of his Master's tentacles.

To him, he would rather take his chances outside and suffer a possible gunshot wound to his head than to stay with Muzan. But as he turned over and launched himself forward with the intent to run, Muzan knocked him down again.

[[BAM]]

"Ahhh…! ! !"

[[BAM]]

"…!" When he fell to his knees, the same tentacle hit him behind his head and Tanjirou fell forward.

[[SLAM]]

[[THUD]]

"What part of 'your Master's going to take your virginity' do you keep failing to comprehend?" Muzan asked in a harsh tone as Tanjirou struggled to regain his bearings from the blows he had sustained. "Stop running off. I'm trying to do some foreplay here. Stay still like an obedient bitch and let me fuck you."

"Ugh…" Tanjirou, ever the persistent one, tried to get up, but he was disoriented and his legs were so wobbly that he fell down again. With a pained groan, he rolled over onto his back and blinked up at the ceiling as his consciousness shifted in and out from a black blur.

_Unghh… _He was so dizzy that the room appeared to be spinning. His head was aching horribly, he had a weird tingling sensation across his body and his vision was blurred around its edges.

He had definitely sustained some kind of brain injury this time, and as he had not blacked out, he felt every bit of the intense pain that he would not have had to deal with otherwise.

_Gah…_

"…! !" The pain suddenly increased when his regeneration commenced, leading Tanjirou to curl into a ball, knees to chest and lying on his side.

_Ah…Guh…!_

The pain of regeneration for the level of damage he had was worse than the pain he had felt for the injury itself. Comparison-wise, it was probably akin to undergoing invasive surgery while conscious and without anaesthesia.

His vascular network was compromised, there was swelling in his brain as a result of internal bleeding and trauma and his regeneration was working hard to fix it all as soon as possible. It was an absolute miracle that he had not fallen unconscious, but Tanjirou would realize later on that this was most likely the result of the link he had created with his demon body. A human would blackout from a severe head injury, but a demon normally would not.

Sadly, unlike a demon who would have an increased tolerance for severe pain and be able to continue functioning in spite of it, Tanjirou was a hybrid and had not built up such an exceptional tolerance as yet. He was used to incredible levels of bone-breaking pain through his work as a Demon Slayer, could probably have his eye gorged out or his arm cut off and simply grit his teeth through it, but enduring the pain of regeneration in an indifferent manner was still a new and quite difficult feat for him. This was because regeneration was a combination of the pain of the injury plus the pain of repair.

This was a kind of pain that was on the cellular level.

"Arrrrrg…! !" The searing ache in Tanjirou's head multiplied further and his eyes rolled back.

_Arggggh…!_

He felt the reconnection of every vein within the damaged superficial venous network around his brain, then the repair of his cranial arteries. The internal bleeding in his head was reabsorbed and broken cells were destroyed and replaced with lightning fast accuracy.

"Ahhhhhhh…!"

"Now that I've **_allowed _**you to carry out your silly little escape plan," Muzan commented casually as though Tanjirou was not crying in pain at his feet, "…I've seen what you're capable of with this new body." He paused briefly as his gaze went over Tanjirou's bruised nudity while the boy before him twisted in pain. "It was an interesting show to see you fighting so hard. I was surprised by how fast you were able to conquer the powerful compulsions I was throwing at you. My Lower Moons could not do that and my Upper Moons did not dare try. But you…"

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

"…~" Muzan smiled at the way Tanjirou's laboured breathing sounded. As his body continued to regenerate itself from his latest head injury and he writhed and arched in pain, he looked like a broken doll that was having life filtered into it for the first time.

"You…Tanjirou," Muzan whispered. "You're bold enough to disobey despite knowing the differences in our strength. You're strong enough to make an instant connection with a body whose intricate structure and mechanisms you have no knowledge of. You commanded it to do your bidding. And you were even using your Breaths just like Kokushibō used to. Remarkable. You gave me a demo of just how fast you can adapt…"

[[COUGH]]

Tanjirou went still at last, coughing up a bit of blood, blinking and bearing a fleeting expression of relief over the fact that now that his body had fully healed itself, the pain had finally ended.

"…" Muzan stopped, biting into his bottom lip as though taking a moment to control his excitement as their gazes locked. The look in Tanjirou's eyes was fiery and foretold his intention to not give up in spite of the beating and subsequent pain he had just endured. "You… You're always going beyond my expectations," he said in a hot whisper, his sadistic delight threatening to overwhelm him. "It's so lovely and I can't wait to see how well you will utilize your skills for my purposes."

"…" Tanjirou merely glared at him.

"Hmmph." Muzan scoffed. "All that's left to be done is what's going to happen next. I'm going to teach you how a good little boy is supposed to behave~"

There was a heavy pause.

"And let me tell you, Tanjirou-kun…I'm a **_very_** thorough teacher…~"

xxx

* * *

_No matter the pain_

_Go forward (go forward), go forward (go forward), keep going ahead (keep going ahead)_

**—_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

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**Chapter Bonus(es)?: **

1) Please see my twitter for the link to the chapter audio that I did! Yes...I did another one so check it out if you want me to read this chapter to you!

2)Also, there's a small update on the character card for Tanjirou and it's posted there. Remember, if you want to see a history of all the posted media, you can click on the link in the header and then click the tab that says "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination)"

3) Read on for the Manga Discussion and a related ficlet I wrote!

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**Next Chapter Title: ****: Re-educating a Slayer I: An Amazing Child**

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Tanjirou has been captured, but for him, his fight is not over by a long shot. As though not wanting to accept the fact that his Master has him cornered, he continues to fight Muzan hard. And despite his pet's continued rejection, Muzan proceeds with his re-education attempt. But can he fully foil Tanjirou's escape plot and inform him of what is expected of him?

**NEXT UPDATE: **I will see you all in 7-10 days for the next update. I have soooo much work to do in that time (as usual). I'll be buried under a pile of writings that need to be edited and scenes that must me written. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter out in time (7 days if things go according to plan and 10 days if I get held up by writing for later scenes or if the edit grows unexpectedly). Until then, take care and please check out the extras I prepared below for you.

* * *

**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter**

**(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):**

**Hmm.**

**-1 '_"_**_It **wasn't** fake!" Muzan shouted back'_

Author: The reason why Muzan reacted like this would be explained in a muchhhhhh later chapter.

b) _'while trying to not be offended by Muzan's words about him being a 'disgusting monster''_

Author: Don't worry, Tanjirou, Muzan's just being a mean tsundere. He actually thinks you're cute.

c) _'Do you think you're some cute child, like Hansel and Gretel' _

Author: Fun fact. Hansel and Gretel was originally written in 1812.

**-2 _'_**_"Look at this~" Muzan started in a teasing tone, lifting his tentacles to spread Tanjirou's legs wide again. "Are you an exhibitionist? Escaping naked to show people your embarrassingly small and flaccid penis? ~"'_

Author: Awwww don't insult Tanjirou's dick… (sorry, Tanjirou, I'm laughing)

b) _'Stop running off. I'm trying to do some foreplay here.'_

Author: Let the guy do his foreplay, man. Oh well… I guess the only way for him to complete his foreplay is to tie you up…( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

c) _'__"Now that I've **allowed **you to carry out your silly little escape plan," Muzan commented casually as though Tanjirou was not crying in pain at his feet'_

Author: My dude is just carrying on like it's just another normal day.

d) _'Tanjirou was a hybrid and had not built up such an exceptional tolerance as yet.'_

Author: Don't worry, Tanjirou, Muzan will help you to build up your pain tolerance :) He is pretty good at teaching his demons how to handle pain.

e) _'This was because regeneration was a combination of the pain of the injury plus the pain of repair'_

Author: Ah so this is just my headcanon for regeneration. Imo one feels pain when they're injured, right? So imagine if those broken tissues are quickly being jostled and moved back into place. There will definitely be pain again throughout the process of healing unless the pain receptors can be turned off or one can mentally block out the pain reaction. Regeneration is 1000% focused on replacing body structures and 0% focused on reducing pain. It does not care. It prioritizes the repair of the body. A demon would personally have to control its reaction to pain through adaptation and mental conditioning, as regeneration is not going to be like: "aww, poor baby, you're hurt. Don't worry, I'll be a little more gentle."

Also, regarding what the manga said about a demon possessing "no concept of fatigue or injury", in my headcanon /interpretation of this statement, the 'pain' is there, only that they have no 'concept' of it as there are some demons who are so advanced that they can either turn off their pain receptors, block out the feeling through mental conditioning, or raise their tolerance to a high level. Then there may be some who lack those pain receptors altogether. Like, when Muzan beheaded Gyokko, Gyokko did not react in any way, but while Muzan was torturing Akaza, Akaza appeared to be reaching the limits of his endurance as it was probably an extremely high and consistent level of pain. Additionally, the temari throwing demon, when she had that curse from saying Muzan's name rip through her body, she was definitely screaming in pain. So that's why I say that the 'no concept of pain' thing for this story, will be all about pain adaptation and how each demon learns / evolves themselves to deal with it.

**-3** _'"All that's left to be done is what's going to happen next. I'm going to teach you how a good little boy is supposed to behave~"'_

Author: Oh no…what are you going to do to 're-educate' Tanji-kun? *looks at the title of the next chapter* Poor bby… Let's put on our seatbelts guys…Muzan's about to get nasty (nastier?)…

**-4** _'As Muzan's arm returned to his side, two thick, smooth tentacles sprouted from his back, coming round with the intention to wrap Tanjirou's wrists'_

Author: Yes! Say hi to the 'tentacles' tag. You'll be seeing these a lot :) Btw, I wrote his tentacle design before the type of tentacles he had on his back in the manga were shown—that's why they're different. The tentacles he has here aren't like those with the battle spearheads at the end from the manga; they're long, thick and smooth ;) It's good to see that both the mangaka and I had similar intentions for there to be tentacles on his back, except that my design is all perversion. They're like hentai tentacles…but of course, as Muzan is a champ at changing his form, the Muzan in this story is also able to utilize his Canon-designed tentacles with the spearheads—when he feels like it. He just brought out this extra special version for Tanji-kun ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) So let's call this version of Muzan that's outfitted with the sex tentacles and tongues 'Hentai Combat Muzan' and the other one 'Regular Combat Muzan' (I'm crying)

b. '_"And now…you're about to be fucked by the king of all monsters, my boy~"'_

Author: *fangirls straight into the next century…* ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**-5 **Now that Tanjirou-kun's reached the end of his rope and the dawn of his wrecking is upon him, I will put an excerpt of the song In The End by Linkin Park in memory of his soon to be destroyed virginity xD Ahh this poor, kind sunshine boy who did his best only to fail repeatedly…I love angst…such sweet pain. You just know I'm playing this song rn.

"I kept everything inside, **( this is what Tanjirou did with his grief, pain, and loss throughout his journey and even while Muzan tortured him for the 31 days. He did his best to hide how broken he was)**  
And even though I tried, **(to escape and endure)**  
It all fell apart. **(his escape attempt)**  
What it meant to me, **(freedom and fighting back)**  
Will eventually be,  
A memory of a time? **(will his thoughts of who he is and what he fought for fade away once he becomes a tool?)**

I tried so hard, **(to escape)**  
And got so far. **(close to making it out)**  
But in the end,  
It doesn't even matter! **(he got caught)**  
I had to fall,  
To lose it all.  
But in the end,  
It doesn't even matter! **(all his attempts to endure it all and fight)**

In spite of the way you were mocking me, **(Muzan mocked him throughout his imprisonment) **  
Acting like I was part of your property. **(claimed him as his 'sub', and 'pet)**  
Remembering all the times you fought with me, **(every occurrence they clashed)**  
I'm surprised…It got so far **(despite being doomed to fail he's surprised that he endured this long)**

You kept everything inside, **(Muzan kept his intentions to break him a secret, also the lie Muzan told in chapter 1 about sparing his friends if he convert to a demon)**  
And even though I tried, **(to endure and escape)**  
It all fell apart, **(he got caught)**  
What it meant to me will eventually be  
A memory of a time when I

I tried so hard,  
And got so far.  
But in the end,  
It doesn't even matter!  
I had to fall,  
To lose it all.  
But in the end,  
It doesn't even matter!

I've put my trust in you, **('you' is himself. He put his trust in his own abilities to surpass these odds and escape)**  
Pushed as far as I can go. **(went above and beyond, even gaining control of his demon abilities)**  
For all this,  
There's only one thing you should know… **('you' in this case are the people he cares about, he wants them to know that he did his best)**

I tried so hard,  
And got so far.  
But in the end,  
It doesn't even matter…!" **(he lost and most likely is about to be re-educated…)**

* * *

****MANGA DISCUSSION, FICLET / MINI FIC ****

**-DISCUSSION / SPOILER MANGA CHAPTER 203**

**Instant reaction after reading the chapter 26/04/20**: Just a note to say that I am utterly saddened that my (and maybe everyone's) predictions for Tanjirou's outcome came true. Now I'm upset. It's just as I said in my last prediction…Kanao miraculously survives and the power of friendship and love saves Tanjirou. And worse of all, to add insult to injury, they just had to degrade Muzan even in death by having him pulling on Tanjirou, begging and reasoning with him that he should not go and leave him there alone. Alone?! Then he's standing in the dark like a loser. Like…what? Muzan went from looking like this totally mysterious, badass villain when he first appeared to a pussy. And worst of all, my previous guess that Tanjirou literally became a demon in the storyline only as a reason for the Author to resurrect him is as plain as day. He was as dead as a doornail. His heart had stopped, he was missing an arm. Demonic conversion brought him back to life and restored his body parts in perfect working order. Now hooray. The main character isn't dead anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Tanjirou (altho this fic would make it look that way). Also, I'm not hating on the manga itself or the author's decision. Imo the author could do whatever they want since it's their story. This is just my reaction to the events unfolding. I'm annoyed that I saw this ending from the moment he became a demon and it upsets me that it was so predictable and seems to be catering more to what most of the fans are demanding rather than what the author originally said that they want for their story. It saddens me when good storytelling is sacrificed for the sake of popularity, but tbh I can't blame or hate on an author for doing that because they need to keep their series popular so that it can sell a lot and get money to survive.

P.S.: And just so you know, the angrier the Canon events make me, the worse Kamado Tanjirou's Ruination would be as I use this story's sadistic parts to ease all my tension. So don't get mad at me when you're reading later chapters and wondering why I'm being so cruel to Tanji-kun, please know that it's the roughly 20 chapters of tentacle swinging, the ten (or so) chapters of Nezuko running-running-running, people magically surviving grave injuries, Tamayo's miracle drug that weakened Muzan, and the fact that they used Muzan as a plot device to heal the Main Character that was upsetting me.

But I must say that in this chapter, there are things that I loved! I loved Zenitsu and Inosuke's characters. They're always awesome! And how Nezuko reacted to Zenitsu referring to her as his wife was so cute. Baby girl was so overwhelmed aww. And I like how Yuushiro took a moment to remember Tamayo and how he even showed that he's just a tsundere when he started crying over the fact that Tanjirou survived. Also, all round, the art was great (seeing Giyuu made me sad tho. Poor guy needs a rest)!

**One hour later:** Ok ok wowwww I'm going to freaking contradict myself here, but I also loved 203 because it gave me lots of Muzan tightly holding on to Tanjirou from behind and whispering in his ear ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) yes…I'm a pervert. And now that "Tanjirou don't go. Don't leave me here" makes it soooooo shippy because Muzan essentially wanted Tanjirou to stay with him forever in the dark void ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). It's like they were married…all wrapped up in demon flesh like that. Muzan **_emerged _**from his arm, which means, Muzan was **_inside _**him. And might I add that Muzan was naked throughout the whole process of holding Tanjirou tightly? ;)

Ah. And the more I think about it the happier I get. I love the author for first giving me Muzan injecting his demon seed into Tanjirou (ok that came out wrong) in a position that looked like they were getting married + exchanging vows and now a naked Muzan hugging Tanjirou tightly. Also, it's funny to know that Canon Tanjirou is a little gold-digger. Sugar Daddy Muzan was looking so long for the 'one perfect demon', found that 'one perfect demon' in Tanjirou, took him, gave him everything he had left and then when Tanjirou was strong enough to stand on his own two feet he just left his Demon Daddy without looking back or saying 'thanks' ahahahaha.

Ah Tanjirou…you're something else. I give you props man. You turned a vicious, sadistic, apathetic villain who said you looked 'disgusting' with your face tumor, who mocked the existence of a god and whom you once referred to as comparable to a 'true demon' into a lonely, begging man who believed that 'god' chose you and who looked at you with your face tumor and called you 'a superior creature'. And all of this happened the instant he went into your virgin body and poured his seed in you. Wow (I'm screaming)…

Lol Tanjirou the Gold-digger x'D

*Laughing and playing the 'Gold-digger' song at 4am in the morning* ahahahahahahaha Muzan got a taste of something good then got played asdfghjkl. Look up the song…I'm crying.

"She take my money**[blood]**, when I'm in need**[dying]**  
Yeah, s**[he's]** a triflin' friend indeed  
Ooh s**[he's]** a gold digger, way over time  
That digs on me"

(SEE IMAGE I EDITED ON TWITTER. The image title on my Privatter link would be "CHAPTER 19 END NOTES MANGA DISCUSSION IMAGE(for ffnet users)")

...

It's even funnier when you consider that White-haired Muzan Ghost Ver. is broke af. He really had nothing to give Tanjirou other than depression, naked hugs and a dark void. Fedora Muzan would have the money, inheritance and status to give him. Tanjirou has his priorities right. Can't blame him. I'm laughing so hard and am in a much better mood now. I love chapter 203 now lmfao but I'm still going to ruin the Tanjirou in this story (such a pity that the only way my mind was able to cope with this chapter was to see it from my own perspective).

**My thoughts two days later 28/04/20:** You know, I realized that this chapter is very similar to the 4th unlikely prediction I made (in this story's chapter 14 notes) for an ending where it was "Muzan x Tanjirō, but NOT the way I dream of". The gist of that was …Muzan inside Tanjirou's body. In 203, they never showed us Muzan disintegrating and the operation of Tamayo's miracle drug in restoring humanity has never been fully explained (doesn't seem like it obliterates demon cells), so unless Muzan dies from loneliness, he is without a doubt still in our boy. And this leads me to repeat what I said in my old prediction: what if, "like in those horror shows, when you think the thing is dead, it is where you least expect it"?

-FICLET / MINI FIC: NOW IT'S TIME FOR MY PERSONAL HEADCANON THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN THE MANGA! Let me tell you a story that I'm coming up with on a whim as I write and one I would have made into a doujinshi if I had the skill (maybe one day…)— Following chapter 203, Tanjirou goes on with his life and commences the ever popular ship of Tanjirou x Kanao when Kanao confesses to him.

A few weeks later, the Kamado siblings and friends are all sitting together discussing the fact that they (excepting Nezuko of course) might all die in a few years as is expected of the marked ones and while Nezuko is worried, Kanao, Inosuke and Zenitsu brushes it aside as something they fully expect and accept. Tanjirou though, is worried that unlike his friends he has an 'either or' possibility. He voices this, saying that he wanted to have the same odds as they did and how his survival beyond his twenties may be impacted by the side effect of his past demonization.

Kanao, Nezuko and his friends hope that he lives to old age but Tanjirou doesn't want any boosts from the brief curse that he was afflicted with. He doesn't want to possibly outlive his friends. So he subscribes to the idea that he just might die young like his dad did and tells them that he would try to live life to the fullest with them and Nezuko.

So it is, that after this discussion when Kanao approaches him to suggest that they get married as soon as possible and start a family as they may not have more than ten years left to live, he isn't opposed to the idea. Life goes on, their wedding day is approaching fast and they think that all is well BUT THE TRUTH IS that Muzan is hiding inside some indistinct part of Tanjirou, content to continue living + experiencing life with him. In Muzan's opinion, he has nothing better to do anyway.

Tanjirou has already changed him so much, but he now becomes addicted to watching his every move. All humans were greedy, right? They long for power, immortality and all kinds of vices but what kind of boy was Tanjirou to reject the chance of becoming a god…the king of them all, in preference of death and a mediocre life? So Muzan studies him, convinced that there must be something bad about Tanjirou. No one is all sunshine and rainbows. Thus, Muzan spends a couple months just there chilling in his dark void, naked (voids don't have clothes okay) and watching Tanjirou's life on a screen. He convinces himself that he's just waiting for Tanjirou to weaken so he can take him over ('baka! It's not that I like you or anything ^/^!').

He is there in the background with Tanjirou through everything—his first kiss, his wedding night, and the birth of his first child. That night when Tanjirou's son was born was particularly memorable for Muzan. Everything had happened in a blur as soon as Kanao had woken him up with her labour pains. Tanjirou was excited—happier than he had ever seen him—and also very nervous and scared. He had left his home in a panic and together with Zenitsu who lived nearby, had run down the street on that cold, snowy night looking for a doctor to attend to Kanao. This was the first time Muzan could recall wanting to see someone succeed at something, but when he realized that what he was feeling was a genuinely positive emotion, he convinced himself that it was just an emotion related to how Tanjirou and his loud-mouthed friend's excitement had affected him. It was no big deal.

Ever the stubborn one to outwit death, as time goes on Muzan does not fade away not only because he had formed an attachment to Tanjirou, but due his plea for Tanjirou to 'not leave [him] alone'. His desire to stay with Tanjirou had made his spirit and consciousness linger on.

Muzan does not want to go to hell all alone to meet the thousands of vengeful spirits waiting for his arrival.

There was absolutely zero fun in that venture.

And Tanjirou has no clue that Muzan was vacationing in his body. He feels no different. Except that, for quite some time (ever since the day he defeated him), he has been having weird dreams about Muzan that he was sure he wanted no one to know about. Those dreams always started with him (Tanjirou) walking into a dark void where he would see Muzan sitting behind a wall of metal bars entangled with vines of wisteria blossoms. Muzan always smelled a bit…sad and this was so intriguing to Tanjirou that he would stand there looking at him without a word. But, as soon as Muzan saw him, he would always smile and the prison bars and blossoms keeping him trapped would disappear.

Muzan would then hold him tightly in his arms like a departed lover, saying how surprised he was that he had returned, and telling him to promise not to leave him alone. The dreams were very innocent in the beginning, but eventually, Muzan had started touching him while he held him, and then a few nights later he initiated a sexual encounter.

The morning after that first sexual dream, he had woken up in a fright and apparently he must have made some noise, as Nezuko had come running, looking very worried, and insisting that he stay home from work.

Tanjirou genuinely felt ill, but he had gone to work anyway. He could not lie in bed all day thinking about the dream and the way Muzan had touched him. He needed a distraction.

Unfortunately, after that, the occurrence of those dreams increased from several times a week to every night. Every single night his dream self would be in that void with Muzan, and every single night their bodies would be entangled until dawn. The dream on the night before his wedding was especially intense. Muzan had seemed angry, and had told him that they were the ones who should have been getting married instead. The sex had also been quite rough.

And Tanjirou's most hated aspect about those dreams was not only that he remembered every detail of them, but that he always felt compelled to masturbate while thinking about Muzan when he woke up.

He was very disturbed by this but shouldered the stress on his own, eventually brushing it off as yet another side effect of being formerly demonized… Maybe his body had some kind of residual attachment to the Demon King?

But little did he know that since Muzan was occupying his body, there was a link between them via his subconscious, and the Demon King had been basically having sex with him in there since he was 15. In Muzan's mind, they were practically in a relationship.

And time goes by. Eventually, Muzan forgets about his plot to wait to take over Tanjirou when he is weakened. Then one day, he realizes that 8 years has passed since his defeat. Tanjirou is now 23, is married with a family and has an honest job. He's a loyal husband (outside his dreams), a good father and works hard while Muzan, finally confident that the era of Slayers has come to an end, is strong enough to detach from and leave Tanjirou's body.

He does so as a small speck of flesh in the dead of night. (The manga has already shown that he was getting over Tamayo's drug so there is nothing stopping him from building strength inside Tanjirou then escaping.)

When Tanjirou wakes the next morning after yet another intense sex dream where he dreamt that Muzan had told him goodbye, he sees a small indent about the size of half a dime on his forearm. Weird…right? But he thinks nothing of it as he has to say goodbye to the wifey and kids and run off to work.

Meanwhile, Muzan is hiding away in whatever hole he escaped to and grows back into the Muzan we know (like he did after Yoriichi attacked him).

Then, three years passes and throughout all that time, he can't stop thinking about returning to claim Tanjirou! He had tried to forget him, but of course he finds himself fantasizing about returning to steal him away from his family. He cannot deny the attachment he's formed to Tanjirou and it overwhelms him. He must have Tanjirou.

Ah yes…so it's now 11 years after Muzan's defeat, the Taisho period is over (let's say it's 1936/37) and the world is on the brink of World War II. Muzan, because of the time he has spent in Tanjirou's body has sun immunity from him and has spent the last three years since he left his body restoring all his financial assets. He is probably now a) a high-ranking official in the government (I just want to see Muzan in sexy military-style wear, okay) or b) the same rich businessman he was before his final encounter with the Slayers.

He commences his plot to kidnap Tanjirou.

As he had lived in him for years, he knows of every place Tanjirou liked to go to—he knows his daily routine and it's easy to kidnap him. And after he kidnaps Tanjirou, he takes him to his remote mansion. Tanjirou wakes up naked and chained to a bed (why not? His clothes got dirty and Muzan put him on the bed because it wasn't polite to put him on the floor, okay?), completely shocked that Muzan is alive and sitting next to him.

And as he struggles and demands what the heck is going on, Muzan just smiles and tells him that he's better off with him because of the coming war. He tells Tanjirou that had taken care of him for eight years and now it's his (Muzan's) turn to take care of him. Tanjirou makes the connection and is shocked that Muzan had been active inside him all those years. He then remembers his weird dreams with their sex during that time and how real the emotions and everything had felt but instead of being happy as Muzan thought he would have been, Tanjirou is absolutely devastated. He can't believe that something he had thought was all in his head was real and screams at Muzan to free him, telling him that he had no right to violate him like that for years. Muzan does not understand and tells him that he's just being difficult.

Tanjirou breaks down in tears, begging to return to his family but Muzan tells him that there is **_no_** way he'd allow him to leave him as he would get enlisted in the army and sent away to die. Also, as a marked one, he is supposed to die very soon as he's almost 26 now. Muzan tells him that he could feel that the spirit of death is already over him.

Now, imagine that on this night where he takes Tanji-kun away, the story continues similar to the chapter one of this fic (replacing the part in the prologue/ chapter with how he is kidnapped) minus the trickery. Muzan seeks to change him into a demon again (so he won't die as a marked one) as this time there is no Tamayo drug that could save Tanjirou like it did in chapter 203 of the manga. Also, no Slayers to try saving him and there is the looming atmosphere of war and destruction. This version of the story would be 'Kamado Tanjirou's Submission', and not 'Kamado Tanjirou's Ruination'. And there's an extra level of angst because Muzan is now head over heels obsessed with Tanjirou but Tanjirou longs to return to his wife + children and grieves over the fact that they're (his family is) out there by themselves.

He's depressed and losing weight but Muzan keeps him chained and does not allow him to leave. Ultimately, Tanjirou realizes that time is running out. He has to make sure his family is safe, so, always the one to use himself as a bargaining chip for the safety of others, he is convinced by Muzan to make a deal with him where Muzan would send someone ('on Tanjirou's behalf') to take his family somewhere that is confirmed to be safe and out of any of the cities that may be directly affected by the war. Muzan makes Tanjirou write them a farewell letter, outlining that he doesn't have long left to live because he is going to die from his mark and did not want to put them through that. He knows the pain of watching a loved one die as he had experienced the same when his father died, so in the letter, he writes that he wants them to remember him smiling.

After the letter is delivered and Tanjirou's family is ferried away as the war starts heating up, Muzan then converts him to a demon then claims what is his and Tanjirou willingly (and grudgingly) accepts becoming his pet / slave for the sake of keeping his family safe. Each and every day, he is forced to serve Muzan for eternity. Eventually, Tanjirou learns to like his new life. And Muzan tells him every day how much he loves him, always reminding him that even though he (Tanjirou) had turned his back on him and left him begging and all alone in that void so many years ago (chapter 203), he cannot leave him again. They were bonded and immortal. He is now his property, wearing his collar, and keeping him company forever. He, Tanjirou, would never choose his friends and death over him again, and he, Muzan, would never be alone again. The end.

Hahahaha…oh…wow…I can't believe I wrote that. Sometimes I worry about myself… Sorry for putting you through that but this little story makes me fangirl so hard even though it has a dark ending.

**_Anyways_**, so the mangaka says that there's some kind of climax (I wish it was the one I'm thinking of) coming in the next chapter. I just hope it's some shitty shot of older Tanjirou with 1000 kids and not something to ruin my filthy thoughts of Muzan getting stronger in Tanjirou and then plotting to kidnap him 11 years later because that's my jam rn.

* * *

**REFERENCES / IMPORTANT FOOTNOTES**:

[1] Manga chapter 153. Akaza stated that Tanjirou gained the ability to make his 'entire spirit' disappear in a second, that his presence was like that of a plant and that his (Akaza's) senses could not detect him

[2] _'__Apparently, it was able to extend far from his body and behave like a tentacle'_ Author: Remember, this fic diverted from Canon in chapter 183, so Tanjirou had not gotten the beautiful opportunity to see this Masters extendable arms and tentacles lol.

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**A SPECIAL NOTE:**

**GUEST: A**re you stalking me? I was legit preparing to click the document to make the new update when your question came in xDDD

**NANINONDESUKA: Y**AY! I'm so happy that you loved the last chapter! Hope you loved this one too! Muzan is getting more intense! Tanjirou can't handle him! And the sex scenes are going to get more graphic from the next chapter!

Thanks for reading!

**REN:A**w Thanks so much for worrying about me! Yeah, I'm doing well. I have my bad days but I try to remember to take care of my health! I hope that you liked this new chapter and all the goodies I stuffed in it! Hopefully it helped to cheer up your busy day. Oh and Muzan got even meaner in this chapter! Alsooooo he will NEVER stop playing with his food. He even plays with it while eating it too...You will see how he does that veryyyy soon. Just imagine how he tortured Tanjirou so far and you'll get an idea of how he'll be playfully torturing him during sex too ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Take care of yourself!

**ACJMONKEYAJ: O**oho! ! Well our poor Tanji-kun has had his escape ruined again! but fear not...our boy has a willpower of steel! He will keep trying no matter what Muzan puts him through!

You're welcome! As for the roadblocks you hit in writing, it's good to see you power through them. To me, that's what creative endeavours are all about - maintaining the will to go on in spite of all the environmental as well as internal blocks that we have to face. I'm smiling right now just reading about all your progress!

Your story title sounds good though. Why don't you like it? Did you end up changing the plot so there was no longer a 'forgotten sibling'?

Aw and I wish I could check out your trilogy because it totally does sound interesting but dont expect much from me. You mentioned checking it out when I have off days but sadly I have no off days from writing xD I'm like one of those ppl who get sent to hell who have to do one activity over and over as punishment. Apparently, writing is my punishment. I write from the moment I open my eyes to the moment I close them, stopping only to eat, drink or draw when I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes I watch an anime episode or read a manga chapter when my brain wants to self-destruct from too much writing. I know it may sound weird, but I barely have time to do much else lol. The reason is that I am currently writing, editing and drawing for an 800K book series project I'm planning to finish this year and Ruination came along out of nowhere, got HUGE and is eating into the time I need to be spending on that. Now my to-do list is a mile long and it's gotten so busy that I can only reply to my irl friends' texts every 2-3 days. I've started waking at 3:30am on mornings to start writing and by the time I go to bed I STILL can't finish everything I want to do lol idek what's going on lol . So I don't want to disappoint you by saying 'yeah I'll check it out soon!' What I can say is that I'll add it to my to-do list and check it out when I get to it. I'm hoping that in a couple months my schedule can ease up...so sorry T_T

Lol I know the scene you're talking about! That was with the needle play when Muzan gave him the stars on his body because he told Tanjirou that he likes to act like he's the 'star' of his own show! I loved that scene XD

AH no worries! The lengthy review is fine! You spokee from your heart! And I realize that that's a thing with us writers...we tend to make everything long even when we try to keep it short! I'm always embarrassing myself like that. Even in this story when I make the long end notes I feel bad!

LMAO HAHAHAHAHAHA YES TANJIROU NEEDS TO COVER UP HIS NAKEY BODY. CAN'T BE RUNNING AROUND LIKE THAT. I WAS GETTING SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT IMAGINING THAT WHOLE NAKED FIGHT SCENE LOL

But I guess that after suffering under Muzan's tortures where the Demon King basically used to tie him to the bed exposed in all his naked glory just to humiliate him, Tanjirou kind of doesnt notice his nakedness much anymore x'D Oh and it's so funny to me how you mention it and in this chapter Muzan also mentions it (lol are you Muzan?). I was dying with laughter when Tanjirou got embarrassed when Muzan brought it to his attention but Tanjirou is so distraught that being naked outside is the least of his worries! Who knows...maybe he was planning to tie some palm tree leaves and vines from the forest around his body lmfao he'll look like a forest boy...maybe like Inosuke!

Thanks for reading and reviewing and sorry again for not being able to check out your writing until much later! Please have a good day and remember to take care of yourself!

**DYSPHOL: A**yeee! Thank you! I love you too xD Gosh you make me blush with your kind words about this chapter! I'm happy that you like it! I will keep doing my best!

**KANON 58: O**oooooooooh! A fanfic! I'm so happy for you! I'm happy that I can inspire you a bit! And that plot sounds awesome! Slayer Nezuko and Demon Tanjirou would be the best. Ahh I wish you allll the best and tons of success with it! I just know that your story will be great.

And thank you so much! I hope that you're doing well!

Same here! I love how Tanjirou's fighting so hard here when we alllllllll know what's going to happen to him. And it's only going to get worse and more worse for him!

And me too :( I miss Muzan in the Manga too. If you read my manga discussion above, I was so upset with how they degraded him to begging Tanjirou to stay but thanks to my crazy imagination, I am feeling a lot better now.

I also think that Muzan is still inside Tanjirou ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**GUEST: L**ol! I love your comment so much...made me laugh! It truly is 2v1 on Tanjirou! This poor boy can't get a rest! Tanjirou's oni self is such a stinker! xDD Ahhh and Muzan having fun while torturing Tanjirou is my favorite thing! You got a lot more interactions in this chapter! I hope that you liked it! And what do you mean by initially subdued? Because if you mean when Muzan catches him, that would be next chapter! Poor Tanjirou...things are about to get MUCH worse!

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Thanks everyone for reading and please take care!


	20. Re-educating a Slayer I: Amazing Child

Notes:

Hello my friends!

Gather close! It's time for me to give you your weekly+3 days story time!

Update is 4 days late because it became a double update! Also….the heat here has been absolutely crippling so I've been feeling unwell but don't worry, I'm doing my best to take care.

Anyways, this is the first chapter of the 'Re-educating a Slayer' arc. This is going to be a big arc consisting of a set of chapters with somewhat graphic sexual content, so beware. This first one is pretty tame but the rest will keep increasing in intensity…

Now let's get started! I hope that you guys are okay!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh ... 🐺🐥

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Chapter Summary:

Tanjirou has been captured, but for him, his fight is not over by a long shot. As though not wanting to accept the fact that his Master has him cornered, he continues to fight Muzan hard. And despite his pet's continued rejection, Muzan proceeds with his re-education attempt. But can he fully foil Tanjirou's escape plot and inform him of what is expected of him?

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**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[Sssssk]] Sound of Tentacle(s) moving

[[PANT]] Heavy breathing

[[HUFF]] Laboured breathing

[[SWIP]] / [[SLASH]] High-speed fighting sounds

[[GAK]] / [[HYUKK]] Choking sounds

.

_"Memory of a conversation."_

.

"Heh.": A short laugh

* * *

**BDSM TERM DICTIONARY**

**Disclaimer: W**hat Muzan is doing with Tanjirou is in the context of BDSM, particularly the Master / pet dynamic but **t**his is far farrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (x infinity) from a healthy D/s (BDSM) relationship. This is fiction and written for fun but here are a few definitions to help those who do not understand the meanings of the words I (have used and) will be using from now on.

N.B.: Other definitions for the following exist but this is how I personally see these.

Master: The one with **_absolute _**control in a D/s or M/s (Dom/sub, Domme/sub or Master/slave) relationship

Submissive: The one who has given up a certain degree of power in a D/s, M/s relationship. When in an M/s relationship, that 'degree of power' given up to their dominant partner is usually 100% (in this story though, Tanjirou has not 'given up' any power. Muzan is trying to take it).

pet: In this story, when Muzan calls Tanjirou his 'pet', he is referring to the submissive partner in a D/s relationship. A pet most times has an animal identity that he/she/they identify with but sometimes, the Master chooses that identity for them. The pet is treated as the name suggests and has all their needs met by their Master. In exchange, they loyally serve their Master. The Master can punish or reward them according to their (the Master's) desire.

pets usually wear a collar given to them by their Master and are treated like / behaves like the animal they are (if they have a specific animal identity) when in that Headspace. Muzan chose Tanjirou's identity for him (kitten) and has been trying to force him into that mindset / Headspace for the past 31 nights, but Tanjirou has been very opposed to it so far. Unfortunately for him, it is purely coincidental that Tanjirou's demon conversion turned him into a cat-like demon to match his 'pet' designation—something that Muzan has teased him about (Chapter 9 when he said _"What are you? A cat demon? __Maybe I've been treating you so much like a pet that you actually became one with my blood"__)._

**Note:** Although the word 'relationship' is being used for these definitions, Muzan does not view what he is doing with Tanjirou as a 'relationship' in the romantic sense. To him, it's like a 'relationship' in the context of an interaction between two people.

* * *

**_CHAPTER BONUS? YES! SEE END NOTES_**

**PRIVATTER PASSWORD: **For those who asked, if you navigate to my group's Privatter account and you're asked for a 'password', the answer is always 'yes' heh ;)

* * *

_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

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Chapter 20: : Re-educating a Slayer I: An Amazing Child

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

.

.

.

**T**HE TENTACLES HOVERED BRIEFLY BUT then suddenly darted forward in a flash.

[[Ssssk]]

"No. No. No…!" Tanjirou fought his Master's multitude of appendages, slashing at them and knocking them away with incredible speed while dodging their attempts to grab him.

He could not believe it. Even his carefully thought up escape plan had been anticipated by Muzan and instead of escaping, all he had accomplished was to make that crude demon want him more.

_This isn't over! I have to try to get away…! _

_I have to win this…! I have to try—_

_._

_"Don't 'try'…just **do **it! If you're a man! The only other choice…is to lie down and die! So **make **yourself progress**[1]**!"_

_._

Sabito's words to him echoed in his head.

_Progress..._

_Progress…! I have to progress…!_

"No!" He screamed with renewed strength as he slapped at each tentacle that came close.

_Progress…!_

His determination caused his nails to harden further with the quality and strength of a katana's blade. "I won't work for you! I won't!"

_Faster _

_Faster…!_

_I have to move faster…!_

[[Swip]]

[[Slash]]

His speed increased and his ability to evade attacks was as good as ever.

[[SWIP]]

Not one of Muzan's tentacles was able to touch him.

[[Sssssk]]

Those tentacles were still very fast though and did not give him the chance to get up off the floor to run again, so Tanjirou was forced to remain on his back, swatting wildly at the snakelike projections that were persistent in their aim to take hold of his arms.

It was like a high-speed battle, but with him lying down.

[[Ssssk]]

[[SLASH]]

[[SWIP]]

"Leave me alone…!" His nails cut through those thick bands of muscle easily but in spite of the improved strength of his nails, the ends of the tentacles could not be lopped off with his attacks, as Muzan's regeneration was remarkable.

[[Ssssk]]

[[SWIP]]

And in spite of his competence, and the tireless fight he was putting up to keep them at bay, those tentacles kept coming at him until they finally outmanoeuvred his long nails to wrap tightly over the cuffs at his wrists.

"Oh, you need to put these sharp little knives of yours away, my little one~" Muzan said, squeezing his wrists.

"Urgh…!" Tanjirou groaned, but as if listening to the request of its Master, his body obeyed and his nails retracted themselves.

"Good boy~"

"No! !" Tanjirou shouted when he saw this, trying his best to regain the upper hand, but nothing he did was able to make his nails extend again.

_Why…?! _

.

_"You're acting this way because you're a submissive now**[2]**. **My** submissive and you naturally crave to obey me—your Master. You are a tool. Your body will always do as I say and you will only feel good when you're doing what I want you to do**[3]**~"_

_._

_I'm not his submissive! _He thought heatedly in response to that memory. _I regained control of my body!_

_I formed a link to my demon side!_

_Why is this body still obeying him…?!_

"Heh~" Muzan laughed at his pet's wide-eyed, dismayed expression.

"No…!" Tanjirou pulled, fought and bit the tentacles around his wrists with the aim to rip them off him but as they were extensions of Muzan's body, their regeneration remained instantaneous and the only response given to his struggling was a tighter grip.

"No…!"

He could not get away. Even after combining with his demon body and raising his strength and abilities to incredible heights, he still could not beat Muzan. He was very strong now, but the obvious remained set in stone; Muzan was the king of all demons—he was his king.

There was no fighting him.

.

_"Fighting will achieve nothing."_

_._

_No…._

_This can't be it…!_

_This can't be over—_

"Ah, Tanjirou…" Muzan whispered as, in addition to the two tentacles holding Tanjirou's wrists, two more came to slowly wrap his forearms, while another two took hold of his ankles. "What a beautiful performance. You are an amazing child…~"

[[Ssssk]]

"…!" With that utterance, Tanjirou froze as he was reminded of someone else saying this to him.

.

_"Tanjirou…You…are an amazing child**[4]**."_

.

"…!" Tanjirou was about to give a flaming retort, but the look on his Master's face made him pause.

_What…?_

From that look of mild admiration and the lack of condescension or mockery that Tanjirou was not familiar with seeing in Muzan's gaze, he realized that his Master having said this exact phrase as his sensei was pure coincidence.

It was not said to mock the memory of what his sensei had said to him at the start of his journey. The Demon King genuinely thought this of him.

Regardless, Tanjirou did not feel happy to hear this from Muzan of all people.

He did not want to be praised or acknowledged by Muzan. And now, he hated the fact that he was so unique to have caught his interest to such an extent that his Master had resolved to pursue him until he was caught.

"I really…really want to re-educate you…" Muzan whispered. "I will draw out your true potential~"

[[Sssssk]]

"Urr…!" The tightening of the tentacles holding him made Tanjirou grit his teeth as his hands were stretched high up above his head and he was hoisted at least a foot off the ground. Throughout the act, he kicked and fought. "No…Stop!"

"If I'm lucky, your body would respond to this shock the way a Slayer's body responds to great stress to bring out their mark[5]," Muzan told him. "I've never seen a hybrid demon like yourself before. Sure, that bitch Tamayo and your sister Nezuko overcame my influence, but they were one hundred percent demons. You on the other hand, are a demon with a human brain. So interesting. Who knows what would happen when I push you to your limits. As your body is now, I'm guessing that a lot of your demonic potential is still locked up."

"Usually, normal demons attain their form upon conversion and while this cat-dragon-thing could be your final form, I don't think that it is."

Muzan paused dramatically while Tanjirou struggled before him.

"Stop…!" Tanjirou fought hard. "Let go…!"

But his efforts remained useless.

"I can feel it, Tanjirou," his Master's voice boomed throughout the large bedroom, "…there's something great in you just waiting to come to the surface. I want to bring it out and make it mine."

"Ah…~" Muzan's gaze went to the dark red mark that was permanently emblazoned into his sub's skin. "I'm sure you're unaware that your Slayer Mark is different from how it was when I brought you here a month ago," he commented. "That Mark…is the feeling you get when it appears the same for every Slayer? How did you feel when it first appeared? Did your entire body feel hot? As though you were at your limit and suddenly crossed some kind of threshold? As though there was a burst of raw power within your muscles and bones? ~"

"…?" Tanjirou's surprise made him suspend his struggle to look at his Master.

_How does this bastard know so much about the Demon Slayer Mark?_

As though aiming to respond to his question, a sudden memory of Muzan's words to him resurfaced,

.

_"…And you were even using your Breaths just like Kokushibō used to. Remarkable**[6]**."_

_._

Those words ringing out in his ears wrought a horrified gasp from his mouth.

_Kokushibō…? Breaths….?_

_Ah…!_

_There was a demon…an Upper Moon…who was a Demon Slayer?!_

Everything slowly started to make sense. The real reason why Muzan had been so determined to convert him, why he was sure that he wanted him to join his ranks.

_It wasn't only because he thought that I was special! He was aware that the combination of a Slayer's techniques and a demon's Blood Art would be a powerful tool! Especially if the Slayer was marked!_

_And since I just showed him that I'm able to use my Focus Breaths even after combining with my demonic body, he must be thinking that it's also be possible for me to use my Fire and Water Breathing with my swordsmanship…_

_Muzan knows this… he knows this…! _

_ That's why he was so excited while I was fighting to escape…!_

"…~" As Tanjirou's appalled expression met Muzan's smug one, Muzan merely smirked in response, unashamed to show that he was clearly anticipating the reaction that would come when his misery fully set in.

But Tanjirou, nude and strung up by his tentacles, was frozen in shock as his thoughts continued to race at a thousand miles per second.

_Kokushibō…the demon Muzan was speaking of…that must have been Upper Moon One's name—I'm sure of it. A demon with Breaths is sure to be extremely powerful…so he was definitely Muzan's number one. _

_Back then… My comrades…Genya and Tokito died while fighting Upper Moon One**[7]**…he was **that **strong… _

_And…as his revenge for taking away his most powerful aide, Muzan is going to have me, another demon who can use Breaths, replace him. _

The residual grief that Tanjirou was feeling for the loss of his friends combined with his misery for having played right into yet another one of Muzan's traps.

_No…_

_I'm not going to replace the demon that took my friends away from me…! I'm not…! I can't let that happen…have to fight…have to—_

"No, no, Tanji-kun~~ Struggling to escape from me is useless. I taught you that already," Muzan drawled, as Tanjirou seemed to be regaining the hope to oppose him with everything he had. "Tonight I'm going to recreate those conditions that created your Slayer Mark—the conditions that made you want to fight to survive and get stronger. Hm…~ I'm going to give a hybrid like you the opportunity to grow stronger for me. Hopefully, the high stress will cause your demonic potential to be drawn out in full so I can have a mind-broken pet that is also immensely powerful~"

Tanjirou's teeth were clenched tightly together as the boy snarled at him, but Muzan smiled.

"Oh, there are so many questions in your eyes~" The immensely perceptive Demon King told his pet. "I'll answer them for you~" he said in a tone that was clearly reflective of the confidence he felt that whether or not Tanjirou knew his plan, he would still succeed.

[[GRRRR]]

This cocksure attitude only served to make Tanjirou even angrier and he growled at his Master, but Muzan shushed him.

"Shhh, I'm trying to explain something to you," Muzan said. "It's like this… All demons have the potential to evolve further if they push themselves beyond their limit. Usually that evolution takes place at a time when they're sure that death is upon them[8]. What makes **_you_** special, is that you were capable of this evolution ever since you were a human. I saw it through the eyes of my marked demons—Kamado Tanjirou, you're always breaking the mould and doing the impossible~"

He scoffed.

"And a prime example of this was what I noticed back in my Dimensional Fortress," Muzan went on. "This Slayer Mark you have now is the same as the one that briefly appeared during your battle with Akaza."

Tanjirou was twisting his body and trying to free his bound wrists, but Muzan merely observed this futile fight with a calm expression.

"I remember the shape perfectly. That Mark…It appeared…then diminished again after your body exited that brief state when you were at your full potential[9]~"

"Ah but then that's not all…" Muzan's voice lowered, "You manifested your Mark for the first time when you fought Gyuutarou. Back then, it had appeared and disappeared too[10]."

"Your Mark always seems to change during your most intense periods of strife. And it seems that your demon conversion was not to be exempted from this."

Muzan hummed in thought.

"I remember how you twisted and turned last night while your body fought against my blood," he said with a laugh. "The conversion must have hurt a whole lot, right? Makes one feel like they're being ripped apart from the inside out~"

Without waiting for his disgruntled captive to comment on that, he added, "But as a result of your intense pain and struggle to overcome being turned into a demon, the most interesting thing happened… that **_same_** mark you had during your fight with Akaza is back on your forehead again."

Muzan informed him of this with a proud smile. "Tonight, returning to find you with your demon conversion complete, and your body in the same state of high potential it was in at that moment back in the Fortress was surprising…" He paused and his eyes glittered with a predatory light "…it's like you're in a permanent state of heightened awareness and ability. Lengthening and retracting, now remaining static… I have never seen a Slayer Mark behave that way in all my years. As far as I know, the Mark appears when a Slayer achieves a certain level, and one is granted immense power and ability in exchange for their lifespan[11]. Even Kokushibō's mark did not change after he became a demon. So I have a theory, Tanjirou-kun~ If your mark lengthened and changed only when you were able to reach such heights, it is possible that the new strength you have now from being a hybrid demon and not a human, is enough to maintain the state that keeps this particular mark active."

"My pet…you truly are amazing…" His gaze went over Tanjirou's struggling nudity with a great hunger. "So…if you're merely an unclaimed demon now; there's a possibility that you can generate a further change in the Mark you have and transcend even the limits that I think you're capable of—once I put your body under enough stress and claim you with my Demon Mark. You're definitely the type that gets stronger through traumatic experiences… ~"

[[Sssssssk]]

"Heh…~" Muzan laughed as he sent out one more tentacle to wrap around Tanjirou's neck and another to circle his torso, right under his nipples.

"Ah…you're so limber~" he complained while the tentacle constricted around Tanjirou's torso to steady the wriggling boy and keep his flexible body from twisting too much.

"Tanjirou-kun~" Muzan said as he stepped forward. "Did you listen to everything I just told you? I want you to meet my expectations and not disappoint me tonigh—"

"Go away…!" As Tanjirou's legs kicked out in response to Muzan walking up to him, the tentacles holding his ankles pulled them back down, tightened their loose grip and wrapped all the way up to his thighs to keep his legs stationary.

.

_"I'm going to take it all…I want it. Everything you can give me and more**[12]**…~"_

.

With that memory, Tanjirou's struggling intensified.

"No…No…!" He shouted, "I won't give it to you! I swear I won't! Don't come any closer…!"

"Stop fighting so much," Muzan warned. "I'm trying to explain tonight's lesson objectives—"

"No!" Tanjirou interrupted in an abrupt shout. Although his limbs were tightly bound, he refused to give up. And as Muzan got a little closer, he tried to undulate his body to head-butt him but Muzan anticipated this and the tentacle at his throat tightened, wrenching his head backwards.

"Gah…!"

He choked.

"Urr—Ack…!"

"…! ! !" His arms and legs tensed against his taut bonds as the tentacle around his neck pulled itself into a smaller circle, choking him as punishment for acting up, but the binding grip on his forearms and legs held him securely—wounding tighter and tighter as though gaining strength from his growing misery and the bountiful amount of mischief and wickedness Muzan had forged them with.

"Ack…!" Tanjirou gasped and heaved as the strong band holding his neck squeezed harder.

_Stop…! _The harrowing grip on his neck had his eyes watering and he was starting to drool, but the fight in him did not diminish. _I…cannot…give…up…I—_

"So unruly," Muzan commented calmly as his tentacle continued to choke the life out of his pet. "Do you know why I've always been calling you a cat even before your conversion?"

"It's because you hate it when I try to bathe you," he replied with a smirk. "Plus you're wild, headstrong, independent, and near impossible to train."

[[COUGH]]

Tanjirou was coughing violently, his body was shaking and his face was getting redder, but Muzan's face was marked with great delight at the sight of his stress.

"I would have hoped that this would teach you to be quiet, stay still and pay attention to the lessons I'm trying to teach you," he told the dying boy, "But I have very little hope that you're even capable of making a conscious decision to obey. No matter what I do, you keep getting more and more stubborn."

[[GAK]]

[[HYUKK]]

He scowled whilst the sounds of Tanjirou choking and gasping for breath filled the room. But then, a wicked smile spread his lips wide.

"Must you fight for everything? It's only sex. I told you that you might like it~"

[[Ssssk]]

[[COUGH]]

[[COUGH]]

Tanjirou coughed as the tentacle suddenly stopped choking him and eased its grip right before he was about to pass out.

[[GASP]]

_Ugh…_

With his throat incredibly sore and burning, his vision swam as he struggled to recover and he inhaled a large gulp of air as listlessly, his bloodshot eyes focused on his Master's wicked smile.

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

_This jerk…!_

_He…he's playing around with killing me like it's a game…!_

"Sex is a very pleasurable act~" Muzan whispered hotly in spite of the hateful, teary eyes watching him. "To be honest, I think you're getting off rather easily with me using this to punish you—"

"I won't like this one bit!" Tanjirou shouted hoarsely at Muzan. He could not believe what Muzan was telling him. His Master was acting as though the act of taking his virginity and all his first times was akin to stepping on an ant.

Tanjirou had expected no less from one he considered to be a sadistic, evil bastard, but the Demon King's behavior still angered him.

"I don't want to lose my virginity to you!" He yelled. His voice bore the weight of his desperation. "This may be nothing to you, but to me, sex is special! It's not something I'll just give away to a demon-jerk-bastard! Never!"

"Well, if you won't **_give it away to me_**," Muzan replied, "I'll **_take_** it. And I'll keep taking sex from you until you get the lesson through your thick, hard skull that your body belongs to me and your submission is something that should be given naturally to your Master."

[[GRRRRRRR]]

As Tanjirou growled, Muzan responded by taking another step toward him, and this new proximity, combined with his darkened features, made Tanjirou recoil from the instant awareness of the powerful fear that had reverberated within his innards prior to taking root in his bones.

His demon body was quaking in fear before its king and due to the link he had formed with it, he was feeling that fear much more than before.

"And furthermore," Muzan began in a low grumble, "I'm not a 'demon-jerk-bastard' or whatever the heck you keep calling me. I am your superior and you will show me the respect owed to my position."

"You're not superior to me!" Tanjirou hissed in spite of the fear coursing throughout his bound body. "You're a demon-jerk-bastard because you're a demon, a jerk **_and_** a bastard! I hate you!"

"Oh really?" Muzan frowned. "You're obviously shaking in fear…" he observed. "Yet you're so determined to anger me even more."

"…" Muzan was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Hmph. I will need to train a disrespectful pet like you to be more obedient."

_xxx_

_If there is nothing but this fate for me, I will be prepared for it  
Even if I struggle and claw through the mud  
There's a thin thread that can't be seen  
And a tender sound that makes you want to cry  
No matter the frustration  
Go forward, go forward, keep facing ahead  
Cut away the despair  
Even with all the pain, even with all the pain  
I have no choice but to stand up again  
There are things to protect  
There are things to protect_

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

* * *

**Chapter Bonus?: **Please see my twitter for the link to the:

-Manga edits / recolor for two images in the chapter

\- arc banners

**The bonuses are always on Privatter.** Remember, if you want to see a history of all the posted media, you can click on the "Media" tab in My group's twitter or go to the link in the header and then click the tab that says "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination). It's the third tab after you click the link. All the uploads are there.

* * *

**Next Chapter Title: : **Re-educating a Slayer II: Tongues

**Next Chapter Teaser: **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Now that he has been restrained, Muzan starts Tanjirou's re-education and his first lesson is a graphic demonstration on how he is expected to behave as his pet. Master knows best and Muzan would make sure that Tanjirou understands this fact.

**NEXT UPDATE: **NOW

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**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter**

**(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):**

.

**Hmm.**

**-1 'H**_is determination caused his nails to harden further with the quality and strength of a katana's blade_.'

Author: I just realized that with his extending, hard nails, Tanjirou is like the demon version of Wolverine from X-Men….ooops…I swear, designing him like this was purely coincidental. But I guess the difference is that Tanjirou's 'claws' come out of his fingertips and are hardened nails and not his bone coming out of his knuckles lol…

**b-** '_The tightening of the tentacles made Tanjirou grit his teeth as his hands were stretched up above his head and he was hoisted at least a foot off the ground'_

Author: Some of you thought that Muzan was going to throw Tanjirou on the bed. Hehe oh no… With the kind of messy sex he wants to have, he isn't in the mood to be changing bedsheets (or summoning demons to do that)…

**c- _'_**_"Stop fighting so much," Muzan warned. "I'm trying to explain tonight's lesson objectives"'_

Author: Lesson objectives? What are you, Muzan? A teacher? *looks at the 'Muzan is a Good Teacher' tag* Oh…okay, carry on, sensei…

**-2 '**_Tonight I'm going to recreate those conditions that created your Slayer Mark—the conditions that made you want to fight to survive and get stronger.'_

**Author: So we see (part of) Muzan's plot for Tanjirou! As he could see what his Moons were seeing (and in Akaza's case he really had nothing to do while chilling inside his flesh cocoon in the Dimensional Fortress), he noticed the changes in Tanjirou's Slayer Mark and drew up his own theory that he wants to test! He needs to know whether the increase in Tanjirou's tolerance threshold as a result of demonization could be pushed further to cause another change in his Mark or grant him greater power as a demon! And Muzan has already identified the means to find out the answer to his question—he's going to literally kill him, by putting his body under pressure until its forced to evolve to the next level (frightening thought, huh?)…**

**-3 '**_Kokushibō…the demon Muzan was speaking of…that must have been Upper Moon One's name—I'm sure of it. A demon with Breaths is sure to be extremely powerful…so he was definitely Muzan's number one._

Author: Tanjirou did not fight Upper Moon One and he was captured before he could inherit the full memories from Sumiyoshi about Yoriichi's past with his brother Kokushibō, so he knew not of this Kokushibō fellow or that demons could use Breaths. Therefore, he was only made knowledgeable of the existence of a demon who possessed the ability to use Slayer Breaths when Muzan mentioned that he was 'just like Kokushibō' in the last chapter. Then he made the deduction that if Muzan is so thirsty to make him into an Upper Moon, and was also familiar with the Slayer Mark, then Kokushibō had to have been a marked Upper Moon demon, and was also the name of the Upper Moon One that Genya and Tokito had died fighting (as a marked demon with Breaths had to be the most powerful among Muzan's ranks).

**b- '**But as a result of your intense pain and struggle to overcome being turned into a demon, the most interesting thing happened… that **_same_** mark you had during your fight with Akaza is back on your forehead again'

Author: So now we see why the Slayer Mark on Tanjirou's forehead in this story looks like this!

**c- '**"Do you know why I've always been calling you a cat even before your conversion?"

It's because you hate it when I try to bathe you," he replied with a smirk. "Plus you're wild, headstrong, independent, and near impossible to train."'

Author: We also get the reason why Muzan always calls him a cat!

* * *

**REFERENCES / IMPORTANT FOOTNOTES**:

[1] Author: Manga Chapter 5 is when Sabito told him that part about 'doing' and not just 'trying'

[2] It is as the name suggests; a submissive is the partner in a D/s relationship dynamic who gives up a certain degree of control to their Dominant / Master.

[3] Muzan told Tanjirou that he was his submissive in Chapter 9

[4] _"Tanjirou…You…are an amazing child." _Author: Manga Chapter 6

[5] '_your body would respond to this shock the way a Slayer's body responds to great stress to bring out their mark'_ Muzan knows about the formation of Demon Slayer marks from Kokushibō of course

[6] Muzan was comparing him to Kokushibō in Chapter 19

[7] Tanjirou was made aware of Genya and Tokito's deaths as a result of fighting Upper Moon One, in Manga Chapter 170

[8] '_Usually that evolution takes place at a time when they're sure that death is upon them' _Author: Examples of this is in the Manga when Kokushibō and Akaza were about to die, they received the opportunity to 'evolve' and surpass their limits.

[9] Tanjirou's Slayer Mark appeared and diminished in manga chapters 152 + 153 consecutively.

[10] Tanjirou got his Slayer Mark during his fight with Gyuutarou in manga chapter 94

[11] The mention of the Slayer Mark granting heightened ability in exchange for one's life is mentioned in Manga Chapter 178

[12] _"I'm going to take it all…I want it. Everything you can give me and more…~" _Author: Muzan said this to him in Chapter 9

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**A SPECIAL NOTE(mild / vague spoiler for 204 in first reply)  
**

****REN: W**ow **I just read the chapter and I must say that this was the best chapter of KNY for me. It was perfection. I feel so sad but so happy too. I've honestly never seen such a sweet ending for a manga before. All the loose ends were tied up and I'm guessing that the author did what they did to Tanjirou's arm and eye as compensation for all the ppl (myself included) who were saying that he got a free heal by turning into a demon. But fuuuuu I feel so sad seeing him like that though. He looks so depressed on the inside, like he's just smiling to make everyone think that he's okay and that's making me sad ugh. I liked all the inosuke parts! He's got a little crush. And Nezuko too! Poor Zenitsu hahaha. And that part with Zenitsu and Inosuke in the tub...xD I laughed! Great chapter! And I'm curious as to why it's going to show the present day next... hmmm. Like you said, maybe descendents? Reincarnation? Ahhh I'm hoping everything's ok bc I'm still sad about how Tanjirou looked in this chapter. He's totally one of those ppl who just smile on the ooutside without truly analyzing their real emotions. He looked like a hurt puppy. Poor bby..

And you can always message me on Twitter! I may take 3 days or so to respond tho. Other than that, here is fine!

**GUEST: **Haha! Now you got two updates!

****GUEST: I**'**m glad to see that I'm not the only one who does the refresh thing. Your comment reminded me of a Naruto fic from 2011 that I'm still in pain over not seeing an update-and it went on hiatus right in the midst of a climax. Thanks for the compliment and your support! I hope that this made you happy!

**GUEST: H**i! Thank you! your compliment makes me very happy! I'm glad that you're enjoying this story, because that's my main goal-to make ppl smile with what I create! As for your question, you're right-chapter 20 was the climax! But it ain't as simple as that...the 'climax' is an ENTIRE arc! This is the 'Re-educating a Slayer' arc! Thanks again and I hope that you enjoy!

****NANINONDESUKA: B****ut of course! And you get two updates!

**GUEST: W**hoa man thank you for this message you definitely gave me a reality check about rushing to do stuff while suffering my health so when I says thanks I really mean it. Take care!

**GUEST: A**hahahahaha I can't tell you how much I laughed at this comment! Tanjirou really should learn to watch his actions around Muzan. The guy is already very bitter and then along comes Tanji-kun to stress him out further haha. But Muzan is going to be returning the favor in stressing him from now on ;) hehe

**LILY: A**www bby sorry about that! The Privatter link is in the description of my Twitter group. When you click that link, it's the third option. Then when it asks you for a password, the answer to the question will always be yes. An older post I had there had a different question though. I think the question was 'what do you call Muzan?' and the answer is 'Muzan-sama' haha I hope this helps!

**GUEST: Y**eah, I was going to update a few days ago but then the update turned into a double chapter *sweating* so the editing for two chapters delayed the update! I hope that this double treat eased your anxiety of waiting! Thanks for your support and for reminding me to take my time to craft a story that is ready when I feel that in my heart it is ready! That motivated me a lot!

**REN: O**oooh don't worry! You reviewed chapter 18 but even if this was a double review, I always love seeing your reviews! Thank you for your kind compliments! I really loved writing that fight scene! And poor Tanji-kun...he's just way out of his league with Muzan this poor boy can't deal with the fact that he's destined to fail! Too many things are against him but as always, Tanjirou will keep fighting the cruel hand of fate!

Ah it was so much fun to imagine an overpowered af Muzan just standing there whipping out attacks at Tanjirou while Tanjirou is doing all sorts of backbends and difficult acrobatics lol.

A real boss move for Muzan.

Ahhh and congrats on making it to the summer break! I hope you will enjoy it! You worked hard!

Oh my...it's only when you reminded me that I realized that I'm wayyyyy overdue for a glass of water! Thank you! It's been another 100F day without air conditioning!

Hehe and Muzan will totally blow Tanjirou out of the water with that first kiss...oooooh boy I was fangirling so hard when I wrote that scene.

Take care and drink lots of water and at healthy!

**YUELINORI: A**w thank you! The story will surely continue! And yessssssss Yoriichi x Kokushibou! That ship would be gorgeous af. Kokushibou would totally be the uke. He was acting all salty since they were kids, wondering why Yoriichi was born and feeling disgusted by his smiling face but I think his feelings of hate were actually because he never realized that he was actually in love with Yoriichi. Like...why carry the flute with you for 400 years after the man died. Kokushibou's totally a tsundere.

**KANON 58: H**i! Hehe he's just chilling in that virgin body xD

Ugh yeah, they announced that it will be ending this month such a pity. Oh boy, prepare thineself, there will be lots more cliffies! Tanjirou's entire life is just one big cliffhanger x'D T_T

Lol yesssss Muzan loves those boys with the dark red hair and eyes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Hope you liked the chapter!

**GUEST: G**osh yes! I hate how pitiful Muzan in Canon has become. As I told another reader, I loved him in the beginning but the way he became inconsistent was totally not like how he was portrayed to be. Someone as intelligent and sly as Muzan would never make the mistakes that he made in the final battle. Tanjirou was always shown to be his greatest threat and one he took seriously from the beginning, but then in the end he's just like "Come and get me if you can!" and traipsed off like a little girl scout wtf. Then he infected him with his blood to kill him and just left his body lying there without even thinking that maybe...just maybe he might survive. Then of course, letting Tanjirou get inside his body and remain active enough to move and slash him with a finishing blow. Arrogance can only take one so far. In the beginning I used to think that Muzan in kny contradicting himself was funny. Like how he told Lower Moon 4(?) that she should not run whenever she saw a Pillar...yet he had just run from a little boy 35 chapters earlier just because he was wearing Hanafuda earrings -.- But now, I don't find his lack of character development and his wholly contradicting self in Canon funny anymore.

I just want to tell him 'IT'S TIME TO STOP'.

I'm laughing so much at how you said 'what were his goals? Conquer the sun to become immortal ? Then what, living his idle eternal life?' ahahahahahaha Nooooo! Don't you see how important living his best idle eternal life is? Muzan's true goal was to conquer the sun so that he could finally get that tan he's been wanting for 1000 years! He would finally be able to achieve his goal to become a Gyaru and then he could either go into showbiz or just porn.

Thank you for your words and for sharing your feelings about the story with me! And yeah, Muzan being affected by Ubuyashiki's words in 201 was as magical as Tamayo's magical drug. In this story he'll also be affected by Ubuyashiki's words about death and feelings, but again, not in the way Ubuyashiki hoped *evil laugh*. Ugh...chapter 201 was something special. At this point, I'm just praying for this to end so I can get closure.

Oh no worries! I understand your spiteful feelings toward him. I also dislike how his character deteriorated to the point that I don't understand him anymore in KNY. It's upsetting.

Thanks for reading and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Take care!

**DYSPHOL: A**wwwwww Thank you! Thanks for liking this I was so anxious about how this chapter would be received but I am happy to see that you liked it! Yes! I'm happy that you are excited, because there will be so many intense things happening! You made a good choice to make an account. Less stress than checking often to see if this was updated! Oh my you found me on Tumblr? Ahh I wish Tumblr hadn't done that great purge of 2017. That was basically my home! I haven't found another site as good as there so I occasionally go back there and check out what's left of it :'( Thanks again for your kind words and for reading and I look forward to bringing you the next chapter!

**ACJMONKEYAJ: A**w! Yeah, Tanjirou has a big fight ahead of him to survive everything that's coming! And his friends were shown already...remember, chapters one-nineteen has only been one night and one day and this is the second night. The last time his friends were shown was during the day a few hours ago in a big meeting to decide his fate. That's where they decided that they need to kill him if he's become a demon :( You will totally see them again, but that would be in about 8-10 chapters. And there won't be any confrontation between them and Tanjirou anytime soon! The focus rn is on Muzan and Tanjirou and Tanjirou's personal battle with him. We gotta cheer on Tanjirou!

In a way, I feel sad by the thought of his friends seeing him as he is. Worst of all bcause if he's mind-broken they will have to uphold the law of the Demon Slayers Corps and kill him :'(

Thanks for understanding about my schedule! It's crazy though that you had to endure harassment? What is wrong with ppl! Or...maybe I should say, 'What ISNT wrong with most ppl'.

Ah! Thanks for explaining I understand now! I didnt expect that Ash was the 'forgotten sibling' but the title is still cool though. It may seem misleading, but that can be used as a device to create a nice turn. Bc ppl are expecting Scarlet to be the forgotten one, but it turns out to be Ash, and that's just awesome!

Yes! Same here, I liked the sweet atmosphere of 203 and now that I think about it, as a fujoshi shipping MuzanTan, I love how Muzan was there, but as a reader, I hate that he was. His presence kind of ruined the sweet friendship vibes as I was just feeling secondhand embarrassment for how he was begging and I was cringing so hard I couldn't see straight.

I actually breathed out a sigh of relief when his part ended. I couldnt take it anymore.

I love Zenitsu so much. He is bae so pure so sweet.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting Muzan's fight to be flashy at all. The reason the tentacle swinging upset me was that anyone who is portrayed to be as sly, cautious and plotting as he is, would not spend 20 chapters swinging away. They would analyze a situation better than that and know that they shouldnt wait until the last minute to skip out on a fight they would have known that they were destined to lose had they done a better analysis or ANY analysis at all. My dislike of his fight was more of my disappointment in him as the main villain. So whenever I say I feel sorry for him, it's more of a 'I wish you had used your potential better'. And it's like I had mentioned in a discussion before, he underestimated Tanjirou when he should not have and even that is contradicting his personality. Because, we see him being cautious af with Tanjirou from the beginning. He was shown as a no-nonsense villain, immediately putting a hit on Tanjirou since the moment they met in Asakusa and even sending his Moons after him! But then when he meets him in person at the Ubuyashiki Mansion he's like "come and get me if you can, Kamado Tanjirou" like wtf dude? I may sound harsh, but the Muzan in KNY deserved to end up as he did. He had so much potential and made stupid mistakes.

Lmao "Cute Male Protagonist" I hear ya! Can't dispute that at all! And weirdly, after Tanjirou's demonization, he somehow seems cuter than before...idk why.

Oooooh that story plot for the KNY Fanfic sounds delightful! So much potential for angst xD I hope that this sister would have to fight Muzan! It would be fantastic to see how she manages going against him for Tanjirou's sake :0

Awww thank you for your kind words! Hopefully you don't end up hating this when things get really terrible, because...like I said, there is an order to kill on Tanjirou's head by the Corps...! The only thing that can save him with his friends is if he turns out like Nezuko and is able to maintain his human sensibilities and can prove to them that he isnt harmful! He has a longgggg painful journey ahead.

Tanjirou-kun deserves the best things in life. He is too sweet for this but unfortunately, sometimes life just has a way of picking on the nicest people. The good thing is that there always is the tiniest ray of hope, even in the darkest sky.

**NANINONDESUKA: L**ol! Yeah 7-10 days may seem long, but it's just a week + 3 days! Think of it from that perspective and it won't feel bad at all! And send me all those positive energy vibes and I might be lucky enough that the update happens in a week! Also, thanks for reading! Yessss the part you have been anticipating is coming (hahahaha 'coming' xD )

Thanks everyone for reading and please take care!


	21. Re-educating a Slayer II: Tongues

**Notes**:

Author: *smiling* Hello my friends!

Author: Don't leave yet! It's a double chapter this week!

Author: *Grabs you by the shirt collar*

Author: *Proceeds to shove my KibuTan monster smut down your throat*

You: *Gagging*

Author: "Take it…Take it all!"

[SEE TWITTER FOR IMAGE THAT COULD NOT GO HERE]

Haha so this is the first chapter of the 'Re-educating a Slayer' arc that will start depicting the somewhat graphic sexual torture that Muzan embarks on in an attempt to corrupt Tanjirou's mind and make him fully his. I will admit…I am a little anxious to show you guys how I write smut lol. This is the first time I'm writing R-18 outside of my small little ship in HxH and it feels so odd. I had way too much fun with this and showing others feels like I'm showing a crowd of people the very filthy contents of my mind *sweating*

An actual excerpt from this chapter?:

_"W-wait…" Tanjirou was genuinely afraid. "What I said wasn't an invitation…! I don't want to know! I didn't consent to any of this…!"_

_"'Consent'?" Muzan laughed outright. "Ah, Tanji-kun, you're so funny. Didn't you read the tags before starting this story? It says 'rape' and 'non-consensual'. What part of that looks like you'll be consenting to anything I do tonight?"_

Author: Do you doubt that that's an actual quote from this story? Then read on to find out! It's the beginning of the end for our dear Tanji-kun.

Now let's get started! I hope that this double update meets you well and makes you smile!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh ... 🐺🐥

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Chapter Summary:

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Now that he has been restrained, Muzan starts Tanjirou's re-education and his first lesson is a graphic demonstration on how he is expected to behave as his pet. Master knows best and Muzan would make sure that Tanjirou understands this fact.

* * *

**Content Dictionary**

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[PANT]] Heavy breathing

[[HUFF]] Laboured breathing

[[SWIP]] Fast, sharp movement

[[Sssssk]] Sound of Tentacle(s) moving

_"Memory of a conversation."_

"Heh.": A short laugh

"Ohoho~" : A delighted, deep laugh

**_'Telepathic speaking'_**

* * *

**_**BDSM TERM DICTIONARY**_**

**Disclaimer: I **understand that BDSM and all its subdivisions are for 18+ participants only. By writing this story I am neither condoning the participation of underage members, nor glorifying abuse or lack of consent in the Community. **T**his is far farrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (x infinity) from a healthy D/s (BDSM) relationship. This is fiction and written for fun.

Here are a few definitions to help those who do not understand the meanings of the words I (have used and) will be using from now on. This dictionary will be updated depending on the chapter where more / less terms appear.

N.B.: Other definitions for the following exist but this is how I personally see these.

Master: The one with **_absolute _**control in a D/s or M/s (Dom/sub, Domme/sub or Master/slave) relationship

submissive: Aka 'sub'. The one who has given up a certain degree of power in a D/s, M/s relationship. When in an M/s relationship, that 'degree of power' given up to their dominant partner is usually 100% (in this story though, Tanjirou has not 'given up' any power. Muzan is trying to take it).

Daddy: The one who takes care of the 'little' in a DDlg or DDlb or DDlo (Daddy Dom little girl / Daddy Dom little boy/ Daddy Dom little one) relationship. Muzan is a Demon Daddy and a BDSM Daddy in this story lol.

little: The one in a D/s Relationship that regresses to a younger age. **NOTE**: 'little' in this context is a noun, so when you see me use it like an adjective, like 'little pet', 'little sub', or 'little dick', I'm not referring to the BDSM meaning of the word. But when Muzan calls Tanjirou 'little one', he's using it in a DDlg context.

Owner: The one who is responsible for a pet

pet: In this story, when Muzan calls Tanjirou his 'pet', he is referring to the submissive partner in a D/s relationship. A pet most times has an animal identity that he/she/they identify with and feel connected to but sometimes, the Master chooses that identity for them. The pet is treated as the name suggests and has all their needs met by their Master. In exchange, they loyally serve their Master. The Master can punish or reward them according to their (the Master's) desire.

pets usually wear a collar given to them by their Master and are treated like / behaves like the animal they are (that is, **_if_** they have a specific animal identity. Some pets just consider themselves as 'human pets' and act as though they're not any specific animal) when in that Headspace. Muzan chose Tanjirou's identity for him (kitten) and has been trying to force him into that mindset / Headspace for the past 31 nights, but Tanjirou has been very opposed to it so far. Now, it is purely coincidental that Tanjirou's demon conversion turned him into a cat-like demon—something that Muzan has teased him about (Chapter 9).

Headspace: This is the state of mind a person can enter into where they feel their designation (e.g. submissive / Dominant) the most. There is subspace and Domspace and this can happen subconsciously where there is usually some kind of trigger that gets them into that state. In that state, their 'normal' mannerisms change, inclusive of speech patterns, actions etc. and they may even seem like a different person.

.

**note that at this point, Tanjirou is rejecting **_all _**of this. He is not a little, pet, or sub, and definitely refuses to go into a submissive headspace for Muzan (although we have seen hints of it happening against his will so far as Muzan has been implanting certain triggers into his subconscious mind that would throw him into subspace). But…Muzan is **_very_** determined…

**note also that while the word 'relationship' is being used, Muzan does not view what he is doing with Tanjirou as a 'relationship' in the romantic sense. To him, it's like a 'relationship' in the context of an interaction between two people.

**PRIVATTER PASSWORD: **If you navigate to my group's Privatter account and you're asked for a 'password', the answer is always 'yes' heh ;)

* * *

**_CHAPTER BONUS? YES! A FEW ARE AVAILABLE. SEE END NOTES_**

* * *

_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 21: : Re-educating a Slayer II: Tongues

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

"…" Muzan was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Hmph. I will need to train a disrespectful pet like you to be more obedient."

.

.

**A**HCK…MUZAN…!" TANJIROU CHOKED OUT as the tentacle hugging his neck tightened a tad bit in warning. "Drop dead…!"

"Ohoho…~" Muzan laughed. "You wish~"

"…" Tanjirou gave him a foul glare.

"Now. I've already explained the lesson objective for tonight's re-education class, my aggressive little sub," Muzan told him, "…and to summarize, that is to mind-break you while recreating the conditions necessary to make you stronger."

Despite Tanjirou's everlasting glower, he went on, "From this point onwards, I will tolerate no insolence from your rude little mouth, so pay attention and memorize the following phrase: 'Obedience is the main rule between a Master and his pet'."

"I do not like being disobeyed, Tanjirou. So you will remember that phrase throughout the time of your service to me~"

He reached out to touch the side of Tanjirou's face, but the boy snapped his teeth at him, as a clear warning for him to not get any closer.

"Get…away from me!"

"What did I just say?" Muzan asked harshly. "No talking back. No rudeness. You are not allowed to disobey—"

"You can't tell me what to do, you—!" Tanjirou cut in in an attempt to protest, but when the tentacle around his neck moved, he paused, thinking that it was about to choke him again.

[[Sssssk]]

However, instead of doing that, it continued stretching upwards and with wary eyes, he watched it.

"Be quiet, boy," Muzan commanded, but as soon as the tapered tip of his tentacle descended over Tanjirou's lips with the intent to wrap over his mouth and silence him, Tanjirou pulled his head back and bit into that appendage.

[[GRRRR]]

With his teeth locked in, Tanjirou growled while ripping into it with a ferocity that was neither deterred by Muzan's regeneration rate nor by the many advantages his Master had over him.

He was locked up in a net of strong tentacles and the Demon King could easily crush him to death for his insubordination, but he remained fearless.

[[Ssssssk]]

The tentacle pulled, attempting to free itself, but Tanjirou ground his teeth into its flesh, holding firm with a savagery that made him appear to be a lion attempting to devour the prey he had caught.

[[Ssssssk]]

[[SWIP]]

Finally, the tentacle was able to yank away from the grip of those lethal fangs, and in response to Tanjirou's attack, it briefly maintained a reasonable distance before abruptly coming round in an effort to cover his mouth again, but—

[[GRRRRR]]

[[HISS]]

Tanjirou followed its rapid movement with his sharp gaze. He spat and growled at it like a rabid cat, snapping his teeth together, seeking an opportunity to bite and rip at it again but the tentacle moved away, retreating to its original position of being wrapped around his neck as though it had been scared off.

"Heh~" Muzan watched this scene with a gleeful expression, chuckling and thoroughly entertained as he locked gazes with Tanjirou's wild eyes. Tanjirou had been repeatedly beaten down. He was bound tightly, yet he still had the confidence to attack viciously, and with only his teeth as a weapon.

_How remarkable~_

The look on the boy's face was incredibly savage but this only made him smile wider.

"Ah…~ What a wild, feisty and untamed little demon you are. But don't worry, I'll teach you how to follow orders by the end of the night~"

"…" Tanjirou's poisonous glare intensified on Muzan's face, but the Demon King remained unaffected by his hate.

"Hm…~ ❤" Muzan hummed as he looked over his body. All the scrapes, cuts, welts and bruises Tanjirou had gotten from their scuffle had healed, but the boy looked a bit too unkempt for his tastes. His hair was out of place and there was blood on the various parts of his body where he had been injured during their earlier fight.

"I keep my floors clean, but you've been rolling around and bleeding so much that you've gone and gotten yourself messy again," Muzan complained. "Geez…and after I went through all that trouble to clean you up."

"Proper presentation is an important requirement for a pet, you know. What kind of pet are you? A filthy, disrespectful, and naughty little cat?" He accused, his feral eyes continuing to go over Tanjirou's naked body as he sneered. "Must you be such an uncouth, unmannerly child?"

"Hnrgh…!" Tanjirou wriggled in his hold, but when he saw more tentacles arise and extend from the Demon King's back, tentacles that had long slits at various points along their length that opened into mouths with sharp teeth, his body went still and his eyes widened.

_T-there are mouths on his tentacles too?!_

"I wonder," Muzan said in a sexy monotone as thick, long drooling tongues stretched out of his multiple tentacle mouths, "What shall we do to punish you first?"

[[SWIP]]

"…! !" Tanjirou recoiled as the appendages shot forward. "Ah…h-hey…!"

[[Sssssk]]

"Stop…" he protested, his anger dissolving into fear when the tentacles took hold then started slithering over him, moving like powerful snakes as they wound themselves around his naked body, dragging their soft slavering tongues across his heated skin.

Panting and covered in that writhing mass of slippery bands, Tanjirou felt like he was a small rabbit being wrapped and squeezed to death within the clutches of a lethal boa constrictor.

_Ah…_

_Ah…!_

It was a terrifying experience, especially with the way the fanged teeth were occasionally biting him, as though barely holding back the urge of wanting to eat him.

"St-stop…!" Despite his terror, Tanjirou found himself shuddering in a mixture of pleasure and disgust from the feel of the multitude of warm, sopping wet textures caressing him.

In contrast to the sharp teeth, the tongues were unbelievably soft and very warm and it was not a completely unpleasant feeling to be licked by them, but the munificent amount of fluid left in the wake of their delicate wet caress left much to be desired.

_What… is this thing they're putting on me?! _

_It has no smell, but… it's so wet and slippery!_

_Is…this spit…?_

_Is this jerk covering me in his spit?!_

_Ew…ew…!I'm so wet…_

_This is…gross—_

"Ummm…!" Contrary to his repulsion, as a tongue flicked over his nipple in passing, and another over his groin at almost the same time, Tanjirou had to bite into his bottom lip to instantly silence the moans the wet coiling heat threatened to wrench from his trembling lips.

As his pleasure mounted, he bit his lip harder, to the point that he tasted blood, but the pain worked to distract him from the intense response that was bombarding him.

_What…_

"…?!" He could not understand why the movement of the tongues over those parts of his anatomy was sending an electric shock of pure desire through his body that reverberated within his solar plexus.

And as the tongues were still moving, his initial pleasurable reaction became a series of shivers that had him wanting to cry out in a desperate kind of ecstasy.

_Ah…!_

[[PANT]]

[[HUFF]]

Scarcely a minute had passed and Tanjirou was already overwhelmed by his reaction to Muzan's eager tentacle tongues.

His arms were no longer pulling at his bonds. He could not force them or his legs to struggle. It was as though his body was now enthusiastically anticipating each touch.

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

This was not how it was supposed to be. These tongues were grotesque. They were disgusting and frightening. Yet…

_Unnngh….! _

A tongue rubbing the spot right below his navel made him shiver in delight.

_Why…_

_Why…?!_

_Why is it feeling so good…?_

[[HUFF]]

Tanjirou wanted it all to end, but those tongues were obviously far from being finished with him.

For the next five minutes, tightly bound within the web of tentacles that Muzan had trapped him in, Tanjirou was a helpless plaything for those slithering appendages and all he could do was tremble in a heated sort of awareness as he was poked, licked and probed across his skin with the soft, limber masses.

"Hah…" Tanjirou folded in his now bloodied lips to prevent the sounds of pleasure from slipping out of him but it was getting harder and harder to not react as the minutes ticked on.

How much longer would he have to endure this sultry torment?!

[[HUFF]]

[[PANT]]

_No…_

_Stop…_

Up over his armpits, down his arm, across his belly, chest, legs and between his thighs over his cock and balls, then up through his butt-crack to go over his back—those broad tongues licked **_everywhere _**and as they repeated this process, over and over, Tanjirou was starting to feel as though he was a quivering mass of arousal.

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

_Ungh…!_

His entire body was so sensitive to those thorough touches from his Master that Tanjirou wanted to self-destruct if only to no longer feel the way that he was.

_Ahhh…_

"Good," Muzan praised as his tentacle tongues finished up in carrying out their methodical job of cleansing Tanjirou's body.

"Heh~" Pulling back those extra tentacles and leaving only the ones holding Tanjirou up by his arms, neck, legs and torso, he aimed a victorious smile at the suspiciously red-faced boy. "You're now clean~"

"Argh!" At that annoyingly relaxed announcement, Tanjirou grunted in rage, trying to calm himself after that literal and very detailed tongue-lashing he had just received.

[[PANT]]

[[PANT]]

He hated that Muzan sounded so composed while he was, without a doubt, falling apart at the seams.

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

"Urggggggh! This is disgusting…!" Tanjirou yelled when he was finally able to find his words. He was clearly blushing, but schooled his features into an angry mask so that it would appear as though his blush was as a result of his anger and not his embarrassment and budding arousal.

"Hm?~" The Demon King simply gave him a questioning look and said nothing more.

"Why…?! Why the heck did you lick me with those nasty things?!" Tanjirou growled and when he glanced down to see that his body was very wet and glossy, glistening with the shine of Muzan's saliva, his expression became even more disgruntled. "This is so gross!"

"Gross?" Muzan looked him over and to him Tanjirou looked far from gross. As his lithe body shone, the beauty of his muscles stood out and his tanned skin looked attractive under the dim light in the room.

"Not gross at all… You're looking a lot cleaner~" he commented and the two tentacles wrapping Tanjirou's legs lifted to spread the boy's legs wide. "Let's get started and—"

"W-wait…" Tanjirou was terribly self-conscious when he saw Muzan's eyes go downwards. And as the demon's lips quirked into a smile, he suddenly felt a lot more exposed than before. "Don't look—"

"Nope. I'll look wherever I want," Muzan interrupted, whilst his gaze was trained on the blushing boy's semi-hard shaft. "Oh…Did your penis get a bit excited as I was licking you? ~"

"What…? No…! Why would that be excited?!"

"'Why'? Heh…heh…" Muzan laughed cruelly. "You're so clueless about this kind of stuff. But don't worry my ignorant little pet, now that you're getting excited for my touch, I'll give you the sex education you clearly didn't get in the Slayer Corps~"

"I don't want to learn anything from you!" Tanjirou shouted back in response to Muzan's insult. "You're an evil bastard! And a liar! There's no way I would get excited for someone like you!"

"Ah, I see… You think I can't get you 'excited'?" Muzan asked. "Is that a challenge? ~❤ Because I—"

"It's not a challenge!" Tanjirou roared. "It's not!"

"Hmm~~ Tanjirou-kun, let me tell you a little secret about how my tongues work…" Muzan smirked. "My sense of taste is advanced to the point that there is no emotion you can hide from me when I lick you. Which means, I know the truth of how affected you were when I was licking your body~"

He chuckled as his pet frowned.

"Why are you looking so peeved? You should be appreciative of the fact that I'm naturally a very considerate lover. This may be your punishment, but I still took the time to learn quite a lot about your preferences for sex while cleaning your body~"

"Wh-what…?" Tanjirou's wide-eyed stare was fixated on his Master's sharp smile. "You're lying! I don't have any preferences! How can I have preferences when I don't want you to touch me?!"

"You keep telling me that I'm lying, but the truth is that you're the one who is …" Muzan huffed. "While you were wrapped up in my tentacles and doing your best to not react to the caress from their tongues, I was taking the time to analyze and memorize the taste of you," he told him. "Fear, anger, lust, excitement—I now know how you react to my touch, all the places on your body you like being touched and **_how_** to stimulate those areas to get the reaction I want from you. And it's just as I thought; you really do have a lot of erogenous zones[1]~"

"…~" Muzan's tongue swept across his lips in a barely concealed sort of anticipation. "You're just as sensitive as I thought you would be," he said in simpler terms in case Tanjirou did not understand what he meant by 'erogenous zones'. "Now… If you don't believe in my prowess as a lover, I'll just have to **_show _**you how hopelessly **_excited_** I can make you for me~"

"W-wait…" Tanjirou was genuinely afraid. "What I said wasn't an invitation…! I don't want to know! I didn't consent to any of this…!"

"'Consent'?" Muzan laughed outright. "Ah, Tanji-kun, you're so funny. Consent doesn't exist in our relationship demographics. I am the Master, you are the pet. Whatever I say becomes law and you follow it. It's as simple as that~"

"But—"

"Now, about our exercise for tonight," Muzan interrupted. "Of course I'm going to be pushing you to your limits to bring out your full demonic potential, but while this is happening, I'll be giving you your first sexual experience and teaching you some discipline along the way. Your body shall be trained in the way to serve me so pay close attention—I hate to repeat myself unnecessarily and **_will _**punish you if you do or say anything I do not like."

"…" Muzan looked him over, all five feet, five inches of rowdy indiscipline. "It's a tall order to work with you, but you don't seem to be completely ignorant about sex," he mumbled. "You have an idea of what's coming. You've apparently learned the basics, but you clearly lack the practical component of being truly knowledgeable~"

"I said wait!" Tanjirou shouted as the look on Muzan's face made it seem as though he would act at any moment. "I don't want to learn about sex! I don't want to learn anything from you…!"

Muzan ignored him. "You're so clueless that even your dick is confused too." He gestured to Tanjirou's cock and the boy's gaze tried its best to follow to where he was pointing but failed as the tentacle around his neck prevented this. "You're semi-erect and your foreskin is still attached. I didn't want to do this before while I was cleaning you, but now…Hm~"

"What…" Tanjirou watched the perverted smirk develop on Muzan's face and felt a preeminent sense of danger slice through him. "Huh…?"

"Hm…~"

The Demon King's face disappeared from his view as the older male bent his head to lean close to observe his penis and Tanjirou had to close his eyes and use his Focus Breathing as the demon's cool breath on his cock stimulated him.

"This doesn't appear to be an abnormal fusion…" Muzan deduced as he straightened back up again to lock gazes with the boy who was frowning at him. "It simply needs to be retracted, so I guess we'll have to fix that first before we do anything else ~❤"

"W-what are you going to fix?!" With a fearful glare, Tanjirou tried to shrink away as Muzan reached out for his cock.

"How cute…your dick is still so small even though you're getting hard~" Muzan teased whilst taking hold of Tanjirou's small but semi-erect penis between his thumb and forefinger.

"Mm…~" It hardened a bit more as he ran his thumb along the curved underside. "And you know what else is cute? The fact that you're uncircumcised~"

"It's like unwrapping a little present that was made just for me~❤"

"Ah…!" Tanjirou closed his eyes tightly.

_He's touching my penis…he's touching my penis…! !_

_Why…? ?_

_Why is he touching me like that?!_

He groaned, opening his eyes slowly. When Muzan watched him and smiled, he gasped. If his blush was to get any hotter, Tanjirou was sure that he would spontaneously combust.

_No…!_

"Hmmm…~" Muzan hummed. "How old are you?" When Tanjirou looked away instead of responding, he went on, "Seems like you're about fifteen or sixteen… Your foreskin should have naturally separated and been pulled back by now. However, this isn't completely weird as there **_are_** some cases where it doesn't separate until seventeen years of age~"

"So I see no problem here…~" Muzan told him this as the tip of his finger smoothed over the enclosed tip and down the side of his cock.

"Hhnngh…"

The sound of Tanjirou's moan made him smirk. "Heh~ you like that, hm? ~~"

"Oh…And in your case, as there are no abnormalities, I will proceed to motivate your foreskin to go down through gentle manual retraction."

"…!" As Muzan moved his fingers, slowly attempting to ease down his foreskin, a pained gasp escaped Tanjirou's separated lips.

_What is…he doing…?_

"…" Muzan stopped and looked at him. Tanjirou was gasping while his eyes were closed tightly. "Come on, it's not so bad~"

"No…no…" Tanjirou opened his eyes to pin him with an angry glare. "What…are you doing—?!"

"What I'm **_doing _**is pulling back the extra bit of skin that covers the tip of the penis of an uncircumcised male—which is what you are," Muzan explained calmly. "This extra skin is known as the foreskin and it stretches to accommodate an erection. I can leave this as it is right now, but I **_prefer_** to pull it back before we have sex~"

"M-Muzan…! Don't do this…! Don't…!" Tanjirou shouted at him. "You—"

"Shh. Be a good boy," Muzan told him. "This is something I have to do. Your foreskin doesn't seem to be tight or abnormally fused though—it's just still attached over the head of your cock—so this'll only be uncomfortable for a bit. After I do this it will be able to move freely to cover or expose the head whenever you're erect."

"Muzan…stop…" Tanjirou begged, "Please…"

"Heh~" Muzan chuckled as he gently moved his fingertips up and down over Tanjirou's covered cockhead, noting that as his movements encouraged his foreskin to stretch enough to be pulled back, Tanjirou's cock became fully erect.

"Aw…is this turning you on? I thought you said that 'there is no way' you'd get excited for me? ~" He teased, "Yet here you are, standing at attention for this repulsive demon you 'hate' so much~~"

"Ohoho~" Muzan flashed the blushing boy a grin. "Well, if this simple act is arousing you, you should prepare yourself for all that we'll be doing tonight, because there is so much I want to teach you and your cock is going to be a **_lot_** more sensitive once I retract this~~"

"Ah…ah…" Tanjirou was biting into his bottom lip and groaning. "Hnnn…"

"First time your foreskin gets pulled back, first experience with penetration, first orgasm, first kiss, first time you take a cock… Ah, Tanjirou-kun," Muzan whispered, finding himself enraptured by the look of pure confusion and lust on Tanjirou's face. "Oh, my little virgin boy…You're going to lose a lot of your first times to me tonight~"

"Hnn….!" Tanjirou gasped in shock as his foreskin was completely pulled down at last. He grimaced, but then, as his smooth cockhead remained exposed, a pleasurable groan left him. It was a feeling quite unlike any he had had before.

"There we go," Muzan mumbled, releasing him. "Success."

"…" Tanjirou huffed. He was suddenly feeling terribly hot and bare—as though he would simply fall to pieces from just the light cool breeze wafting in through the cracks in the heavy drapes of the open window behind him.

"Now let's see if you're a good boy~" Muzan licked his fingertip then pressed it down over the tip of his newly exposed cockhead.

"Ah…!" Tanjirou grunted as his cock jerked in response.

But then as that finger made a looping circle, a bit lower down around the head of his shaft, his mouth opened to shout for his Master to stop, but he ended up moaning instead.

"Hnnn…ah…"

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

When Muzan repeated that move, Tanjirou's lips separated wider—quivering as though he wanted to speak—but with his mind feeling wholly blank, he was unable to process and respond to what was taking place.

_Hah…what…?_

[[PANT]]

[[HUFF]]

This was much different to when the tentacle tongues had been touching him. Now that his foreskin was not acting like a buffer, his Master's touch felt much more intense than before.

_Mm…_

"…~" Muzan looked at his red-faced sub who was watching him with his lips slightly parted. He appeared as though he was struggling to breathe. "Nice reaction~ But try not to wriggle around too much. Stay still for Daddy, okay?"

"What?" Tanjirou blurted out as his cheeks blushed redder. "'D-daddy'…?"

"Yeah, that's what I said," Muzan stated. "You can call me Daddy, Owner, Sir or Master—"

"I wasn't agreeing, you creep!" Tanjirou hissed. "I'll never call you that—!"

**_'Behave.' _**Muzan flicked the underside of his cock hard with his index finger. **_'Learn some manners.'_**

"Nnn…! ! !" Tanjirou almost screamed from the crippling pain that sliced through him from that simple move. There were tears in his eyes and if he was not being restrained by those mighty tentacles, he would have folded over or crumpled in on himself.

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

[[PANT]]

His breathing was harsh and he was starting to cold sweat, but it was the last dregs of his pride that made him clench his teeth hard to hold back the loud cry that had nearly left his mouth.

"…" When he saw that Muzan was looking at him expectantly as though waiting for him to crumble into a pitiable ball of abject misery, Tanjirou averted his gaze.

_No. no. no! _

_Don't cry…_

_Bear it!_

_No matter what!_

_Don't give this jerk the joy of seeing you hurt…!_

"Ugh…" When he finally gathered a scant bit of his bearings, Tanjirou directed a murderous tear-filled glare at his Master as his brow furrowed in a mix of anger and pain and his dick continued to throb where he had been hit.

"What the heck is wrong with you…?!" He demanded. "You didn't have to do that, you…you—"

"'You', **_what_**?" Muzan interrupted to prompt. "Go on, little one…Finish that sentence."

xxx

_If there is nothing but this fate for me, I will be prepared for it  
Even if I struggle and claw through the mud  
There's a thin thread that can't be seen  
And a tender sound that makes you want to cry  
No matter the frustration  
Go forward, go forward, keep facing ahead  
Cut away the despair  
Even with all the pain, even with all the pain  
I have no choice but to stand up again  
There are things to protect  
There are things to protect_

**—****_ Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

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**Chapter Bonus?: **Please see my twitter for the link to the:

\- sketch that I did! It's a rough sketch of Tanjirou...

\- arc banners

\- arc meme

**The bonuses are always on Privatter.** Remember, if you want to see a history of all the posted media, you can click on the "Media" tab in My group's twitter or go to the link in the header and then click the tab that says "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination). It's the third tab after you click the link. All the uploads are there.

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**Next Chapter Title:** **Re-educating a Slayer II: Dishonest Sub**

**Next Chapter Teaser: **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Tanjirou is not taking well to Muzan's attempt to re-educate him. He becomes more and more reproachful and there is a lot that he refuses to accept and understand, but Muzan retains his determination to dedicate himself to teaching this wild little demon all that he needs to know in order to become the perfect pet.

**NEXT UPDATE: **I will see you all in 7-10 days for the next update. I have soooo much work to do in that time (as usual). I'll be buried under a pile of writings that need to be edited and scenes that must me written. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter out in time (7 days if things go according to plan and 10 days if I get held up by writing for later scenes or if the edit grows unexpectedly).

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**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter**

**(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):**

.**Oooooh boy...**

**Hmm.**

**-1 ****_'_**_tentacles that had long slits at various points_ _along their length that opened into mouths with sharp teeth, his body went still and his eyes widened_**_'_**

**A**uthor: Ohoho….Now you see what I was talking about with these tentacles and about this Muzan's ability to make the mouths on his body show/hide themselves. Also, you see why he's got these tongues hehe. Hentai Combat Muzan is super hentai ;)

****-a ** '**_Is this jerk covering me in his spit?!'_

**A**uthor: Hentai Combat Muzan is one nasty mf. Prepare yourself, Tanji-kun…he only gets nastier from here :)

**-2 **_'__His arms were no longer pulling at his bonds. He could not force them or his legs to struggle. It was as though his body was now enthusiastically anticipating each touch.'_

Author: If you ever want a comparison of what Tanjirou's demon body / demon body's consciousness is like, it's totally very similar to this dude, Gyokko. Like…in this panel, Muzan legit just ripped my dude's head off and all he could do is tremble in ecstasy over the fact that Muzan's hand is on his head.

[SEE TWITTER FOR IMAGE THAT COULDNT GO HERE - IT'S THE MANGA IMAGE FOR THIS SCENE]

Remember, Tanjirou's Demon Body's Consciousness is the one who set him up to make Muzan angrier by giving him the power to fight(Chapter 18). It's a masochist, so no matter how much Tanjirou hates Muzan and fights what is happening to him, his body will keep reacting to every thing Muzan does to him because:

\- His slutty demon body loves being touched by Muzan

\- Tanjirou opened up the connection between his body and his human brain, so while he can now utilize its demon abilities, he can also feel everything that it feels more profoundly than before

\- Muzan has lived for 1000 years and (in this story) he is basically the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) when it comes to sex…

**-3** '_He chuckled as his pet frowned. _

_"Why are you looking so peeved? You should be appreciative of the fact that I'm naturally a very considerate lover. This may be your punishment, but I still took the time to learn quite a lot about your preferences for sex while cleaning your body~"'_

**A**uthor: Do you want an award, Muzan?

Lol these two don't even like each other and they're already acting as though they're an old married couple…

**-4** "Yeah, that's what I said," Muzan stated. "You can call me Daddy, Owner, Sir or Master—"

"I wasn't agreeing, you creep!" Tanjirou hissed. "I'll never call you that—!"

**A**uthor: Ahahaha Poor Muzan was kinkshamed xD

**_-5_****_ '_**_"'You', **what**?" Muzan interrupted to prompt. "Go on, little one…Finish that sentence."'_

**A**uthor: If I were you, Tanjirou, I would not finish that sentence…

Ohoho Daddy's going to punish you :o

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**REFERENCES / IMPORTANT FOOTNOTES**:

[1] _'__it's just as I thought; you really do have a lot of erogenous zones__ '_ Author: In chapter 19, Muzan had told him _'"__You seem like the type to have erogenous zones all over your body. It will be fun to discover each and every one of them."'_

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**A SPECIAL NOTE:**

**FOXII VIXEN: H**ey Foxii xD Thank you so much! I hope that you liked this chapter too! Thanks for reading and for your sweet words!

****NANINONDESUKA: A**h**hahaha I'm laughing so much at 'lemony squeezy' xDDDD You're welcome! And thanks for reading and reviewing with such kind words! The chapters are going to keep getting hotter and hotter in this 're-education arc' because Muzan is one nasty mf in this story and the more Tanjirou resists the more he will keep doing so this lemony squeezy ain't just one glass but the whole damn jug xD

**KANON 58: H**ahaha! Yeah you're the first review! Lol you're making me laugh xD Hehe I'm glad that you liked the chapter! I had so much fun writing chapters 20 and 21 this week! Poor Tanjirou in this story is having such a hard time! I will do my best to keep writing this! I feel so sad about Tanjirou in Canon and I miss Muzan and his contradictory self so I just gotta keep them around with this.

Yeah...same here :( work starts back for me probably next week. I hate that place with all its political schemes, corruption and negative energy but working there is how I eat lol XD so I just bear with it, and take out my frustration on ukes I wreck in my writing. I love the shut in life too haha. Have you ever read up on Hikikimori in Japan? I would have totally been that if I were born Japanese haha. Introverts are loving this lockdown a little too much hahh

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Thanks everyone for reading and please take care!


	22. Re-educating a Slayer III: Dishonest Sub

Notes:

Hello! So I haven't abandoned this story! It's been almost three months since my last update and that is mainly due to the stuff that was happening around me. I had a bunch of reports to complete for work, the quarantine restrictions were being lifted, and then I had a lot of re-adjustments to make in my mind-set to get myself ready for getting back out in public when I was holed up in self-quarantine for 3 months. It was hard!

And then when I was about to update, my health wasn't at its best.

And of course my situation was not helped by some ridiculous person commenting a whole paragraph (that I did not ask for) about why 'BDSM is sick' on one of my stories that was depicting a healthy D/s (BDSM) relationship(although whether it is 'healthy' or not should never be cause for concern as this is all fiction). What was most annoying was that that person's comment was random and had nothing to do with the actual story that they posted their 'review' on. Their comment was talking about real people! Honestly! They were trying to say that whether or not consent existed in a kink dynamic, it is still abuse. Why were they even telling me this?

It was so frustrating to read that because a healthy D/s relationship is designed to protect the participants from abuse. A proper situation will have rules, consent and pay attention to boundaries. The community is very supportive and in all cases I have heard of where those who use D/s as a guise to abuse or prey on others, the offenders were kicked out of local communities—how can that be promoting the type of abuse the person spoke of? Like seriously…why can't people read up on stuff before making themselves look stupid with baseless assumptions? Or is it that antis cannot stay out of the sex lives of consenting adults and refuse to stop telling grown people what to do? The idiocy is just so aggravating that it can kill one's mood to update (not write, because regardless, I'm always writing).

So many things tried to stop this update but the show will go on! Here I am, hooray. I'm updating because I know that there are people who appreciate the effort I put in and I'm sure that there are those of you who have been waiting for a continuation. I don't want to leave you in suspense!

Plus, yesterday was my birthday, last month was Tanji-kun's birthday, and what better way is there to celebrate than with some good ol' yaoi? I've got some good treats for you guys! So here y'all go! Our KibuTan torture continues... 🐺🐥

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Chapter 22 Summary:

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Tanjirou is not taking well to Muzan's attempt to re-educate him. He becomes more and more reproachful and there is a lot that he refuses to accept and understand, but Muzan retains his determination to dedicate himself to teaching this wild little demon all that he needs to know in order to become the perfect pet.

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Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[PANT]] Heavy breathing

[[HUFF]] Laboured breathing

[[Slap]] A slap

.

_"Memory of a conversation."_

.

"Heh.": A laugh

**_'Telepathic speaking'_**

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**WARNING: _I'm not even gonna lie. This isn't dubious consent. It is flat out extreme non-consensual—just read the tags. Added to that, my style of writing is very graphic and depicts the physical / emotional reactions of those involved. As such, most of the Re-educating a Slayer Arc contains a very graphic telling of sexual punishment, imprisonment and forced domination/submission. If you know that you will be triggered by this, please take care of your mental health by not reading any further._**

**_**_APPLICABLE WARNING TAGS FOR THIS CHAPTER:_**_**

**• Mind Games**  
**•Author Is Sleep Deprived and Out to Destroy Ukes**  
****•**Abuse**  
****•**Rape/Non-con Elements**  
****•**Sexual Abuse**  
****•**Sadism**  
****•**Bondage**  
****•**Tentacles**  
****•**Non-Consensual Groping**  
****•**Master/Pet**  
****•**I am disgusting**  
****•**I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping**  
****•**Why Did I Write This?**  
****•**I Will Go Down With This Ship**  
****•**VERY Explicit; detailed and disgusting Sexual Content **  
****•**Non-Consensual Bondage**  
****•**Humiliation**  
****•**Sexual Torture**  
****•**Muzan is a Good Teacher**  
****•**Muzan is a Sadist**  
****•**Confused Virgin**  
****•**Clueless Virgin**  
****•**Uncircumcised Penis**

****•**Forced Foreplay**  
****•**Demon Daddy Muzan**  
****•**erotic humiliation**  
****•**How much is too much?**  
****•**Hentai Combat Muzan**  
****•**Tanjirou's Demon Daddy is Very Angry and Very Bitter.**  
****•**Tanjirou Gets the Sex Education Not Taught in the Corps..!**  
****•**Kamado Tanjirou Needs a Hug...**  
****•**Where is the 'Sentient Tongues' tag?**

**Disclaimer: I **understand that BDSM and all its subdivisions are for 18+ participants only. By writing this story I am neither condoning the participation of underage members, nor glorifying abuse or lack of consent in the Community. **T**his is far farrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (x infinity) from a healthy D/s (BDSM) relationship. This is fiction and written for fun.

**_**For a definition of the terms Master, little and pet used in this chapter, see the notes of Chapter 21._**

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ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

[SEE TWITTER FOR IMAGE THAT COULD NOT GO HERE]

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**_CHAPTER BONUS? YES! PAINTING AVAILABLE SEE THE END NOTES FOR DETAILS!  
_**

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_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

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Chapter 22: : Re-educating a Slayer III: Dishonest Sub

.•.

.•.

**N.B.:** **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰

.•.

"What the heck is wrong with you…?!" He demanded. "You didn't have to do that, you…you—"

"'You', **_what_**?" Muzan interrupted to prompt. "Go on, little one…Finish that sentence."

**"E**H…" WITH THE LOOK OF MALICE aimed at him, Tanjirou hesitated to retort. "I was…I was going to—"

"Were you going to insult me?" Muzan asked. "I caution you to think carefully before you answer."

"…" Tanjirou swallowed, trying to calm his frantic heart.

[[BADUM]]

[[BADUM]]

But he convinced himself that his hesitation was not because he was scared of Muzan, but simply because he was smart enough to restrain his aggressive response, knowing that he was at a huge disadvantage.

"Well?" Muzan prompted. He was stone-faced and without an ounce of mirth in his tone. "Say what you were going to say."

"N-nothing…" Tanjirou lied as he glared at him. His glare was full of the hate and disgust he felt for the older male before him, but he was completely unable to keep the stutter out of his answer, "I-I wasn't going to say anything…"

"Good. You better know your place," Muzan said sternly, reaching up to grasp his chin firmly in one hand. "Be aware of who you're using that disrespectful tone with. You belong to me. I am the most important thing in your life. I **_am _**your Master, Daddy and Owner. I hold all the authority in this arrangement, but I am not opposed to punishing you."

A cruel laugh left him.

"But…if you're a good boy during our lessons tonight, as your Daddy, I might actually give you a reward and let you cum~"

"Ughhh…!" Tanjirou ground his teeth together at Muzan's authoritative tone. He could not stand it anymore. Being obedient to a foul demon went against the norm of what it meant to be a proud Demon Slayer and he knew that that was exactly the lesson that Muzan was driving into him.

Hopelessness.

Defeat.

Futile sacrifice.

New ownership.

He was reconstituting his thoughts and ideals. He was destroying his former self. He was re-educating him.

Yes. The king of all demons that called himself his owner and master, wanted to peel back the layers of all that made him Kamado Tanjirou, discard the parts he had no use for, and if he resisted, to drill his lesson into him until he was useful to his vices and wholly unrecognizable to himself.

"Tanjirou…" Muzan whispered, "You're a good little boy aren't you? You're going to be just what Master wants you to be, right? ~"

"…" Tanjirou took one look at Muzan's cocksure smile and his eyes narrowed.

The mere thought that, through his obedience, Muzan was getting exactly what he wanted made him sick to the depths of his being. He hated this. He hated acting subservient to the one who had ruined not only his life, but the lives of so many.

And above all, he had had enough of being scared.

.

_"...know your place."_

_._

_Ugh. _The memory of the way Muzan had said this haunted him.

_'Know my place?' I don't need to know my place!_

_I am **not** beneath him…!_

_._

_"I am not opposed to punishing you."_

.

_Well go ahead and punish me! See if I care!_

_I'm so sick of you acting so high and mighty! And like I'm scared of what you'll do to me!_

_A proud Slayer does not care what they have to face at the hands of a demon! All I need to do is to hold on until I can destroy you!_

"Oh…~" With Tanjirou's glare locked on him, Muzan knew that there was a lot that the boy wanted to say to him that he could not.

"You…~~" His voice was a teasing lilt, "…have a lot on your mind, don't you, pet—"

"I'm not your pet!" Tanjirou roared.

"Oh?" Muzan's slim eyebrow went up in an inquisitive gesture as his thumb caressed his captive's chin. "You're not? ~"

"No!"

"Then what are you? ~"

"I'm a person! !"

"Really..." Muzan tried to not burst out in laughter from the conviction in Tanjirou's words, but he could not resist knocking him down a few notches though. "You do realize that you're no longer human, right? you're a dem-"

"I'm not!" Tanjirou yelled. "I will never be anything that you say I am!"

"But that still doesn't change the fact that you're a _**demon**_~"

"Arggggh! !" Tanjirou's shout was exasperated. "I hate you! And y-you know what I was going to say before?" He blurted out with a glare to rival every other he had ever given his cruel captor. "I was going to say that you're a **_jerk_**! You're the biggest, most evil and nastiest jerk I've ever met! ! I-I don't care if you think you can punish me! And I don't care what you do to me!"

He paused briefly to steady his uneven and ragged breaths—he was that angry.

[[PANT]]

[[PANT]]

_He's going to kill me…he's going to kill me for sure, but I don't care!_

_As long as I can die with my pride intact!_

"I'll never **_ever_** obey you!" Tanjirou shouted. His eyes were glassy with tears and his nostrils were flared. "You're not my Master or Daddy or whatever the heck and I'm not going to listen to anything you say…!"

"Are you done?" Muzan asked patiently. "Are you done with venting your feelings, boy? ~"

"…" Tanjirou's entire face went red.

_Um…_

After that lively outburst and Muzan's calm response, he realized that Muzan was hardly even affected by his insults and rage.

And the way the Demon King was looking at him, as though he was a small child that was throwing a useless tantrum, was demotivating.

That look alone made him feel so little and insignificant to the point that he had to clench his teeth together and push aside his embarrassment in order to keep his glare unwaveringly aimed at Muzan's mischief-filled eyes.

"'Done'? No! I'm not 'done'!" Tanjirou hissed. "I'll never be 'done'! You will always be a demon-jerk-bastard to me! You're no Master! No one owns me!"

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

"Oh?" Muzan watched Tanjirou panting whilst glaring at him. As he was, he was trapped without the hope of an escape, but he still seemed strong and prideful.

Why was it that no matter what he did to this boy, he managed to retain that indomitable willpower?

Was his hate so unending that it was a bountiful force that kept him afloat even in the face of despair?

"…~" Muzan smirked as a spike of arousal speared him.

A strong emotion he could not decipher, combined with the powerful need to dominate Tanjirou, welled up inside his chest.

_Yes… this is good~_

_Fight me, Tanjirou, show me how good it would feel to dominate and break you…!_

"I see you're still insisting on talking back to the one who owns you." Muzan's eyes narrowed as he patted the angry boy's cheek condescendingly. "I can beat you bloody, rip out your tongue and sew your lips shut so you can't talk back, but I think that that's exactly what you want me to do…" His hand slid from Tanjirou's chin, to glide up his arm to where both wrists were bound, before trailing back down that arm and the side of his body.

_Mmmm...~ _He relished in the satisfaction he felt as Tanjirou's breathing and heart rate increased from his touch.

"Ah, Tanji-kun…" Muzan went on, meeting his gaze once more. "You want me to lose this game by losing control, don't you? You want to unsettle me." He patted the boy's waist and smiled evilly. "Ah, but you're wrong, my dear pet, **_you_** will be the one losing tonight."

"'Why?' You may ask? Because I've prepared a plan on how to carry out tonight's torture. I'm going to do something different. I won't be cutting or burning your skin. I won't be beating you up. You're used to that. Instead, I'll be showing you just how I'll fix that bad attitude and disrespectful mouth of yours by making you cry out in pleasure for me~"

"…!" Tanjirou sensed an increase in Muzan's malicious intent. It felt as though something he could not handle was about to be shown to him. "Wait—!"

"No waiting. Let's start by punishing your little cock until you lose the ability to speak coherently~" Muzan suggested. "It is said that those with uncircumcised penises are a lot more sensitive to being touched there during sex~" he informed him. "But I want to test your endurance too~ Let's play a game, and one that will teach you how to be my obedient pet."

"What—"

"You can hold in this body's lust, right?" Muzan's question interrupted Tanjirou's protest. "This is a game a Master plays with his sub that's called Orgasm Control. So…Tanjirou, if your Master says to hold your orgasm and not spill your cum, you have to~"

"Huh…What do you mean? I—"

"And…" Muzan's hungry gaze went from Tanjirou's confused face down to his moist cockhead, "…now that you're all exposed…~"

"Ah…" Tanjirou's eyes widened as something soft, warm and wet started moving on and around his cock. "Ah…what? What are you…?!"

"That's my tentacle's tongue. Doesn't it feel good to be licked like that?" Muzan asked casually. "Your cock seems to like it. It's getting harder and throbbing now~"

"No…! It's not getting hard! That doesn't feel good!" Tanjirou protested, unable to look down at what was happening due to the tentacle still wrapped around his neck. "It doesn't…feel good!"

"Well…" Muzan stepped closer and the tongue moved away so that he could observe Tanjirou's stiff, glistening cock.

"Then what is this? Is my little one a liar?" His index finger flicked the engorged cockhead and the pain made Tanjirou shiver. "An erect penis," he explained, taking hold of Tanjirou's shaft, "…in this situation, means you desire me and you want me to do **_naughty_** things to you~"

"Hah…!" Tanjirou's back arched as Muzan started rubbing over his phallus by holding it between his thumb, index and middle finger, and using the slick that was left behind by the tentacle tongue to lubricate his movement. "Ah…hn…!"

"It's so much fun to play with an uncircumcised cock," Muzan drawled. "All I have to do is move my hand like this…and the foreskin just slides up and down over the sensitive crown…~~"

"Ah…ah…ughh…!" Tanjirou gasped for air desperately as he was tortured, but things only worsened and he saw stars when the mouth at the back of Muzan's hand sent out its little tongue to dance over the tip of his cock while the Demon King's fingers continued their steady stroking pace.

_No…_

.

_"You have a demon's body now and in this state, there is something…someone, that it naturally wants to submit to. You will see how hopeless it is to resist me. I will make you aware of the fact that dream or not, I can still control you…[CHAPTER 4]"_

.

_This feeling…._

_I feel so weird…! _

_But…this can't be for him…!_

_He's not making me feel good…!_

_No…no…! I'm not desiring him…I'm not submitting!_

_This isn't hopeless! _

_I will fight this! I will—_

"Hm~~You're getting so hard for me…~" Muzan whispered hotly as his other hand started rubbing Tanjirou's right thigh briefly before dragging a sultry path up to, then across his hip.

With a soft, teasing touch, he glided his fingertips over the freshly shaved skin of Tanjirou's pubic region, then up and down the fine line of hair that led from his navel to the root of his dick.

"Ah…"

Tanjirou's gasp had him looking up to the boy's red face, then down to his nipples that were so hard that they looked like little pebbles on his chest.

He smiled, continuing to trace his fingertips down until they were moving over and under Tanjirou's balls with a firm, yet thorough pressure. The boy could barely stop twitching as he touched him and Muzan glanced back to his face. "Are you ready to answer honestly now? There's only one reason why you're acting like this. You're attracted to me, aren't you, Tanjirou…? ~"

"Eh….?" Overwhelmed by the new sensations that Muzan was introducing him to, it took Tanjirou a little while to respond. "No…ah…no…no… I'm…I'm not…! I don't like you!"

"Oh no, Tanji-kun~" Muzan warned, "You're just repeating the same thing you're always telling me." One hand avidly stroked the boy's rigid shaft, while the fingers of his other hand trailed over Tanjirou's firm, hairless scrotum. "How do you expect me to believe you when you got this hard from just a little stimulation…?~"

"I'm telling you!" Tanjirou shouted, huffing as Muzan started rubbing over his privates with more dedication. "I don't like you! I can never like you…! T-this is nothing!" He hissed in a rush, trying to find his words.

"Ungh…!" His teeth clamped together briefly as his determination rose.

No matter what it was that Muzan was doing to him, he would survive it. No matter what, he could not lose.

"T-that reaction…hah—" he took a deep breath and tried harder to block out Muzan's teasing touch "—this reaction…it's just…that's just a reflex…! Leave me alone—!"

"'Reflex'?" Muzan interrupted in a tone ripe with disbelief. "So is **_this_** a reflex too…?"

To illustrate his point, Muzan shifted his attention from masturbating him but Tanjirou was barely given the chance to celebrate this brief respite as…

"Mm~" Muzan's soft hands left Tanjirou's groin to trail their way across his thighs then down to cup his firm yet generous buttocks. "Why are you so fat here…?~"

"Ah…!" Tanjirou let out a surprised yelp. He could not understand it, things were not going as he had expected they would. Muzan was not raping him like a brute with no control; he was taking the time to show him just how pleasurable sex could feel, he was teaching him about the parts of his body where it felt good to be touched, and as hard as he tried, Tanjirou found that even with the simplest of gestures, he was quickly losing himself.

Yet, he struggled to hold on.

His Master touching him so delicately, as though he cared, was something that Tanjirou was quickly realizing was his weakness.

Those touches always stole his breath, and he could not deny that the older male's investigative touch felt good, but still he lied, "Yes! My…reactions…they're nothing but reflex actions! I don't desire you! I never can! I hate you!"

"…" Muzan's gaze pierced him with an intensity that made Tanjirou feel an appalling level of discomfort that he tried to not show. "Pet…You just love to defy me, don't you?"

"…" Tanjirou froze at this utterance. Muzan had not responded with the outburst he had been hoping he would and the eerie question he got in place of Muzan's rage only served to increase his dread.

Muzan's words were too similar to what he had told him earlier.

_._

_"Tanjirou."_

_"Tell me."_

_"Why is my pet defying me?"_

_"Do you want to be punished?[CHAPTER 4]"_

.

And as this memory increased the terror in his heart, Tanjirou looked away to keep his gaze on a fixed point and not on Muzan.

_Damn…_

_No…_

Things were swiftly growing out of his control.

By continuously acting up and being blatantly disobedient, the full scope of Tanjirou's plan had been just as Muzan had guessed—to frustrate him into losing his temper and force his Master to kill him so that he would be freed from becoming his tool.

But of course this did not work as Muzan obviously possessed a lot of self-control when it came to seeing his goal become a reality—a grave misinterpretation on Tanjirou's part.

Therefore, holding on to his strong will was Tanjirou's only viable option left when it came to ensuring that Muzan lost this battle, but being strong came at a high price when he was being tortured in a way he was thoroughly unfamiliar with.

This made him unsure of how to respond and how to protect himself, but his demon body made up for his confusion by taking the lead—something that stuck him in a never-ending loop where he was fighting not only Muzan, but his exuberant reactions to Muzan's touch.

_Stop…stop…don't—_

"Ah…" A desperate sound left his lips as one of Muzan's hands squeezed his butt while the other smoothed its way up and down the back of his thigh.

"Are you sure this doesn't feel good? ~"

"…" Tanjirou shook his head as much as he could manage with the tentacle that was wrapped around his neck.

_This is too much! _He thought in a panic. _He's only touching me but it feels…_

_…!_

"Ohoho~" Muzan laughed as the band of muscle beneath his finger flexed smoothly as he dragged the tip of his nail down Tanjirou's inner thigh. It was just a little scratch, but Tanjirou was clearly barely able to hold himself back from responding eagerly to that stimulus.

"Ah…It's like your entire body is filled with erogenous zones…~" he mumbled. "This is perfect…so perfect~ Heh~ Didn't I tell you that pleasure was a 'different type of torture'? Now you're seeing it for yourself~~And soon you will also see that I'm an expert at making you feel not only pain and suffering, but the greatest heights of pleasure too~~"

"No! I told you!" Tanjirou hissed, "This isn't me! I-it's this stupid body! It's a reflex…!"

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

Tanjirou was finding that it was getting harder for him to breathe. His heart was beating too fast, and his body was burning up with an immeasurable heat. This was not like when he was being tortured as a human.

The pleasure was new and felt as though it was twisting his mind. The pain did not bring anger and an increase in his repulsion and hate. Instead, everything the Demon King did to him felt good—punishment or pleasure—and regardless of what the older male had in mind whenever he touched him, passion was always the outcome and each passionate response was always stronger than the last.

Tanjrou closed his eyes tightly and attempted to distract himself.

_This is not me…! It's this stupid body…!_

_I can't give in…!_

_I haven't lost…_

_This is not me…this is not me! This is not—_

"I see what's happening here~" Muzan mumbled after the lengthy pause wherein he had been studying Tanjirou whilst touching him. "You have nothing more to say in defense of your reactions, huh? ~"

When Tanjirou ignored his question, with a smirk tipping one corner of his lips up, Muzan let go of his butt and stepped back.

And as the boy slowly opened his wary eyes to watch him, he asked, "So you've gone from simply saying that you hate me, and that this is your 'demon body' reacting this way, to sticking to the lie that your arousal and all your reactions to me is a 'reflex'?"

"…"

"Aren't you aware that I can feel how strong your arousal is for me? ~"

"…~" As Tanjirou remained mum, Muzan's gaze took in the boy's exaggerated expression, averted eyes and the slight tremble in his body.

He appeared to be even more stressed than he was before.

_He's in so much denial that he's lying even to himself…_

_He's refusing to accept that these reactions belong not only to his demon body, but are what he authentically feels…~_

The tentacle around Tanjirou's neck loosened to trail its tip from his chin to chest, but Tanjirou remained stone-faced and brooding.

_But… _Muzan huffed in mild irritation, …_there's no way to tell for sure that he's being dishonest unless he admits it~_

"When will you stop lying, Tanjirou? You're really bad at it, you know[1], yet you insist on being this stubborn." The tentacle moved to tighten around his neck again and as Tanjirou choked, Muzan scoffed.

"Guess I'm going to have to teach you more about 'reflexes' during sex and show you another unavoidable 'reflex'. And this time, that 'reflex' would be **_inside_** your body~"

_'**Inside**' my body?_

"…?" That statement had definitely caught Tanjirou's attention. At this point, he was convinced that Muzan was about to gut him like a fish, but he did his best to continue acting as though he was unaffected by the Demon King's dark promise.

"Heh~" Despite being ignored, a lecherous smile played over Muzan's lips. "Mm…let me help you learn the truth about your feelings, my little dishonest and disobedient sub…I'll play with you until you can no longer lie to yourself~~"

[[Ssssk]]

As Muzan made this promise, the tentacle on Tanjirou's left thigh sent out its tongue to pull on the left side of his buttocks so as to expose his entrance to the Demon King's avid gaze.

"Hey…!" Tanjirou blushed, his aim to ignore the other forgotten as his eyes met Muzan's with an enraged fire. "Don't you dare…think about doing anything weird to—!"

"Too late, I've already thought about it~" Muzan cut in with a chuckle, watching as the largest mouth on the tentacle wrapping Tanjirou's right thigh sent out a tongue. It was fat, pink and dripping with saliva as though drooling at the thought of penetrating Tanjirou's ass and Muzan smirked.

"Different people have different ideas about what constitutes the official loss of virginity," he said. "Some say that it's as soon as you masturbate for the first time. Others believe that it happens when another fondles you. Another set of people support the idea that it's upon penetration—with any body part or object in the designated orifice. But then there are those that believe that it does not take place until two people have officially become one in the most traditional sense."

Muzan grinned. "Call me old-fashioned, but I'm with the last group," he said as the tentacle tongue pointed and stretched, reaching until it was poking at Tanjirou's exposed rosebud.

Soft, delicate and flushed a light pink color, Tanjirou's bud responded with a spasm to the focused attention.

"Ah! Wait…no…that part is…" Tanjirou was genuinely horrified. "Why are you touching me there? ? ! !"

"Heh~" Muzan only laughed. From Tanjirou's face, and down to his quivering suspended body, his avid gaze travelled, until it was going up the length of legs that were trapped and extended in a 'V' before him.

Strong, muscled legs that were well-shaped from his smooth thighs to the tips of his dark red toned toenails.

"Mm~~" Muzan hummed in appreciation of what he saw. Although he hated him, punishing Tanjirou in this manner was not hard to do. That was because there was no denying that whether demon or human, Tanjirou was a beauty, and this was a fact that automatically made him wonder about Tanjirou's daily life as a Slayer.

Was there someone out there who loved him dearly? Who was anxiously awaiting his rescue? Praying for his safety?

With Tanjirou's overly friendly persona and try-hard attitude, it would be no surprise if there were many of his fellow Corps members who had been secretly in love with him.

Either male or female, they had probably held their feelings secret, hoping for the day when they could finally confess to him to come soon.

_But of course, no one foresaw **this** situation…~_

_Tanjirou's mine now._

With that thought, and the knowledge that ruining Tanjirou would cause not only the boy grief, but his friends and former-potential-lovers a lot of stress as well, Muzan was ecstatic.

_This revenge is like a package deal—hurt one and I would hurt them all~~_

_Yes. I'll ruin him and make him unrecognizable to all who loved him~_

A wicked laugh bubbled up to Muzan's lips as he took in the sight of the trembling boy who tried to silence his choked verbal response of surprise when the tentacle tongue started to circle his anal entrance.

Seeing Tanjirou like this was delightful.

His small cock was rock hard but his face bore a horrified look—as though his mind and body were locked in a perpetual struggle as to how to react to what was happening.

"Are you ready to be opened up for me?" Muzan asked in a sultry tone as his tentacle tongue flicked over Tanjirou's rosy pucker.

"Ah…!" Tanjirou gasped. "O-opened…? Where…?!"

"Where else? ~" Muzan asked with a mischievous smirk as the tip of his tentacle tongue gestured by prodding Tanjirou's bud.

"But…!" Tanjirou was mortified by this, "…That's my butt…! !" He almost screamed at Muzan with wide eyes focused on his torturer's grin.

"It sure is," Muzan replied, leaning forward to lick along Tanjirou's jawline with his excessively long tongue, as the tongue on Tanjirou's butt licked back and forth with a firm, wet flicking motion.

"…~" Muzan moaned as Tanjirou grunted in surprise at how good the tongue moving across his ass felt.

In spite of how uncertain the nature of the future torture that awaited him was, the fact remained that anatomically, the anus was made up of many nerve endings that when properly caressed could bring about intense pleasurable feelings.

Not even Tanjirou's stubborn will was able to stem his reaction to being stimulated there, but it was so much fun to watch him try.

So much fun to watch him fall to pieces bit by bit.

"Hah…ah…" Tanjirou gasped, "…M-Muzan…!"

"Ah…~~" Muzan sighed as Tanjirou continued to gasp and moan while he licked up the side of his face.

"Mmm~~" As he did this, he groaned as though his taste buds had picked up the most delightful emotion from the frightened boy.

"Ah…you know what's going to happen now, right?" Muzan whispered near his captive's ear, "…I'm going to put something really nice in your sweet little butthole~"

"What…?" Tanjirou yelled, suddenly pulled out of the lustful haze his mind was stymied in by his Master's crude, mocking voice. "What are you going to put in my butt?!"

In response, he got no further explanation, but as the soft and wet tongue stopped tracing the perimeter of his butthole and moved to poke at its tightly closed aperture, he cried out, "What is that…? Stop…No—!"

"Mmm…What's the matter, Tanjirou-kun? ~" Muzan asked in a mocking tone as Tanjirou jerked within the tight tension of the tentacles. "Ah…~" He leaned away from him to get a good look at his distraught face. "Didn't you proclaim a minute ago that you did not care about what I planned to do to you tonight? Why do you look so stressed now? ~"

xxx

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_I will keep running  
Even if I can't see the end of the storm  
I can't chose the path anymore, I have to win my way to survive  
Uncertainty gives you a pain called freedom  
Now get up over and over again_

_**\- Kimetsu no Yaiba 'from the edge' Fiction Junction / LISA**  
_

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

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**Chapter Bonus?: **Please see my twitter for the (Privatter) link to the:

\- Version 1 + 2 of the Painting I did of the demon!Tanjirou for this story! As I'm back out to work, I was only able to work on it for a few hours at a time whenever I could, so it took me several days to complete...

\- arc banners

\- chapter meme

\- Character Card

**The bonuses are always on Privatter.** Remember, if you want to see a history of all the posted media, you can click on the "Media" tab in My group's twitter or go to the link in the header and then click the tab that says "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination). It's the third tab after you click the link. All the uploads are there.

Uncensored art versions that I can't show in public are on my Gumroad account. That's the first tab in the stack of links. I put them there because:

1) the file is too big to post without sacrificing quality. 2) it shows full-frontal nudity of this pic that I'm not comfortable putting up in public

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**Next Chapter Title: ****: Re-educating a Slayer IV: Lost Virginity **

**Next Chapter Teaser: **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) As Tanjirou continues to relentlessly refuse Muzan's attempt to re-educate and subdue him, Muzan deals with his reproachful attitude patiently, unfolding the entirety of his plot in a haze of lust that Tanjirou cannot hope to win against. Muzan is determined to create the perfect pet from his most hated enemy, and in his opinion, there is nothing that could stop him from achieving this goal.

**Next Update: **Now!

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**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter**

**(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):**

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**1- ****' "…**_I am the most important thing in your life. I **am **your Master, Daddy and Owner. I hold all the authority in this arrangement, but I am not opposed to punishing you."_

_A cruel laugh left him. _

_"But…if you're a good boy during our lessons tonight, as your Daddy, I might actually give you a reward and let you cum~"_

_"Ughhh…!" Tanjirou ground his teeth together at Muzan's authoritative tone.'_

**Author**: LOL the thought of Muzan having a Daddy kink makes me cry with laughter. Even better yet is thinking of Tanjirou shaming him for it. Like, I just want Tanjirou to shame him for all time about **_all_** his kinks xD

_a. "I can beat you bloody, rip out your tongue and sew your lips shut so you can't talk back, but I think that that's exactly what you want me to do…"_

**Author: **Muzan is aware that Tanjirou's tongue would grow back even when he rips it out, but what he is saying here is that he would rip it out so that he would be temporarily unable to speak, and then sew his lips shut so he can't speak. He's instilling the fear of actually carrying out the act into him, although he's also aware that Tanjirou is super hardcore and might even be able to endure this.

**b. '**_"…~" As Tanjirou remained mum, Muzan's gaze took in the boy's exaggerated expression, averted eyes and the slight tremble in his body._

_He appeared to be even more stressed than he was before._

_He's in so much denial that he's lying even to himself…'_

**Author**: Just imagine Tanjirou making that face from Manga Chapter 72, pg. 11. while trying to lie to Muzan in this chapter…lol xD

_c. "Mm~" Muzan's soft hands left Tanjirou's groin to trail their way across his thighs then down to cup his firm yet generous buttocks. "Why are you so fat here…?~"_

**Author**: Muzan just loves that butt! ^^;

**-2 **_This made him unsure of how to respond and how to protect himself, but his demon body made up for his confusion by taking the lead—something that stuck him in a never-ending loop where he was fighting not only Muzan, but his exuberant reactions to Muzan's touch._

_Stop…stop…don't—_

Author: Tanjirou's Demon Body is like 'Idgaf about you, Tanjirou…I'm gonna get fucked tonight'

**-3 **_Tanjirou's mine now._

With that thought, and the knowledge that ruining Tanjirou would cause not only the boy grief, but his friends and former-potential-lovers a lot of stress as well, Muzan was ecstatic.

_This revenge is like a package deal—hurt one and I would hurt them all~~_

_Yes. I'll ruin him and make him unrecognizable to all who loved him~_

**Author: **What a brute you are, Muzan :o Just admit that you're happy to be eliminating the competition by getting first dibs on Tanjirou xD

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**REFERENCES / IMPORTANT FOOTNOTES**:

[1] "_When will you stop lying, Tanjirou? You're really bad at it, you know"_ Author: reference is made to Manga Chapter 72, pg. 11. Tanjirou is a terrible liar

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**A SPECIAL NOTE:**

**LILY: **HELLO! Thank you so much for your words! I'm so touched by what you've said. As I've mentioned in the past, it is comments like these that make me feel like I am doing something that is helping others a lot. Gosh I hope that your sadness can be eased up a bit *hug emoji* and that this double update and the bonuses can put a big smile on your face. yES! Your message has really helped me! Makes me feel loved haha. And saying that the nipple I drew looked real made my day ;p Hehe just wait till you see the rest of the pic ;D I worked hard to communicate my inspiration to you guys through it. Hopefully it makes you smile even more! Thanks again for checking this story out and for your patience. There were so many setbacks, but here I am with an update! Hooray! Let's continue to escape into this wonderful world of fiction XD

**NANINONDESUKA: **Sorry for the wait! I hope that this update makes up for it!

**XSOFTLY: **Woah thanks for saying that and for reading this! I'm doing alright, just had a lot more to deal with than usual and I didn't want to half-ass this so it took longer than usual to write, edit and draw. You'r welcome and thanks for your love!

**GUEST: **So sorry for the delay! Life got in the way but I'm doing alright and managed to continue drafting scenes for the future of this! Hahaha your little present made me smile xD Thank you and THANKS also for checking this out!

**TSUKI: **Awwww thank you but I hope you still love me after you see the tortures I allow Muzan to put Tanjirou through...

**GUEST: **oH gosh...just the thought of those without descendants not reincarnating does make this sadder! ! But I will console myself by thinking that they will reincarnate in another generation! Haha don't worry, you do make sense in what you described about liking to write! That's a pretty popular shipping dynamic / type too! And I like it. P.S. Hope you're not too sad anymore!

**KANON58: **Ahaha Muzan just loves being nasty...just wait till you see what else he does x.x Aww thank you for wanting this to continue and sorry for the delay! I do intend to keep up with this! Your support and comments mean so much! Hehe Muzan x Tanjirou is awesome

****GUEST: A****yeee! Lol xD Since yelling 'Just fuck already' worked for your OTP, that means that the law of attraction actually is a thing I should be practising more to manifest more good things in my life **XD  
**

**GUEST: H**i! LOL that keyboard smash made me chuckle x'D I'm glad that you enjoyed! Thanks for reading and commenting!

**DYSPHOL: H**ehehe THANKS! Oho! I'm happy that the double update made your day! Hopefully this update makes you happy also! Oh my goodness! Thanks for telling everyone haha I imagined you running around like those ppl who won the lottery and shouting about your fic update hahahaha so cute xD Lol can you imagine if your parents figure out which KIND of fic has you so excited? Oh dear XD Yep! Muzan is a whole other level of kinky X'D Remember that chapter when he first appeared as whitehaired Muzan in the manga? That perverted expression and his raunchy pose just looked so wrong...like he was a total perv haha the type who's just down for anything lol. Idek why I was inspired to have him tell Tanjirou the Daddy thing but boy was I crying with laughter. Thanks so much for your support and excitement for this story. You were the 100th review...imagine that! That must be some kind of good luck :o

Take care of yourself until next time!

****NANINONDESUKA: A****ha**! I**'m so happy that you liked chapter 21! Ohoho so much more will happen! *laughs evilly with you* Yesssss I will add all the lemons ya want and make it realllllllllllllllll good for you xD Thank you so much for being a fan of this and for making me laugh hahahaha xDDDDD

****ACJMONKEYAJ: Y****eah Tanji-kun's friends really dropped the ball here. They failed to find him and now he's fighting on his own. But thankfully, Tanjirou is super strong. And super resilient. And I'll tell you this...they'll have to pay in the future for their negligence. I didn't do that intentionally to spite them for making him suffer, but the story just went that way...

Shhhh don't let Muzan know the secret to completely breaking Tanjirou! Rn his hate and desire to ruin Tanjirou has him focused only on him, so he isnt actively targeting his friends. Hopefully it stays that way until Tanjirou can figure something out.

Yeah, I agree, it would be nice if they could give him emotional support, but with the conditions involved, if they were around, then they would have either be imprisoned too or witness to his current violation T_T

I hope that you can get the chance to fully resurrect the story. Truly admirable that you're trying to do that in spite of all that you went through! Show the haters that you won't bow to them.

Lol when you said that your story just happened tthat way, I felt that in my soul lol. I usually tell ppl that when I write, I dont consciously decide anything. The story writes itself and it pulls me along with it like I'm just the tool to bring it to life.

Ah...Chapter 204. Absolutely memorable. Cuteness overload indeed! I was so happy and sad at the same time. You can see that Tanjirou is carrying a deep sadness in him. Maybe the eye and arm he has reminds him of what he had been through every day. He feels survivor's guilt even after all he's done and he definitely is depressed. But thankfully his friends are around him. Tbh this chapter was one of the best 'happy ending' chapters I've ever seen. The humor was great and the fact that Tanjirou and friends are living together made me so happy. Nezuko blushing for Sanemi and Zenitsu getting jealous was the icing on the cake. Also that part with Inosuke jumping in the tub with Zenitsu made me laugh so much. I'm very curious about the 'modern age' chapter that's coming tho!

Ah and I agree with your cousin! Anyone who says a three-legged dog isnt cute is wrong. My sis feeds one and seeing that doggo hop happily like there is nothing wrong with the world is so cute!

Such a lovely script you have for The Raven Pillar. Totally adding it to my to read list!

Thanks for reading :)

Thanks everyone for reading and please take care!


	23. Re-educating a Slayer IV:Lost Virginity

Notes:

Hi! We're celebrating my and Tanjirou's belated birthday with a big double update that's got bonuses... 🐺🐥

(P.S.: I'm doing well. At this moment, I'm having the last slice of birthday cake from yesterday xD)

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Chapter Summary:

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) As Tanjirou continues to relentlessly refuse Muzan's attempt to re-educate and subdue him, Muzan deals with his reproachful attitude patiently, unfolding the entirety of his plot in a haze of lust that Tanjirou cannot hope to win against. Muzan is determined to create the perfect pet from his most hated enemy, and in his opinion, there is nothing that could stop him from achieving this goal.

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Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

[[PANT]] Heavy breathing

[[HUFF]] Laboured breathing

[[HAH]] A heavy exhale

[[Slap]] A slap

.

_"Memory of a conversation."_

.

"Heh.": A laugh

**_'Telepathic speaking'_**

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**WARNING: _I'm not even gonna lie. This isn't dubious consent. It is flat out extreme non-consensual—just read the tags. Added to that, my style of writing is very graphic and depicts the physical / emotional reactions of those involved. As such, most of the Re-educating a Slayer Arc contains a very graphic telling of sexual punishment, imprisonment and forced domination/submission. If you know that you will be triggered by this, please take care of your mental health by not reading any further._**

**Disclaimer: I **understand that BDSM and all its subdivisions are for 18+ participants only. By writing this story I am neither condoning the participation of underage members, nor glorifying abuse or lack of consent in the Community. **T**his is far farrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (x infinity) from a healthy D/s (BDSM) relationship. This is fiction and written for fun.

**_**For a definition of the terms Master, submissive little and pet used in this chapter, see the notes of Chapter 21._**

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**_APPLICABLE WARNING TAGS FOR THIS CHAPTER (new ones are underlined):_**

**• Mind Games**  
**•Author Is Sleep Deprived and Out to Destroy Ukes**  
****•**Abuse**  
****•**Rape/Non-con Elements**  
****•**Sexual Abuse**  
****•**Sadism**  
****•**Bondage**  
****•**Tentacles**  
****•**Non-Consensual Groping**  
****•**Master/Pet**  
****•**I am disgusting**  
****•**I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping**  
****•**What Have I Done**  
****•**Why Did I Write This?**  
****•**I Will Go Down With This Ship**  
****•**VERY Explicit; detailed and disgusting Sexual Content **  
****•**Forced Foreplay**  
****•**Non-Consensual Bondage**  
****•**Read This Only if You Like Your Porn with Feelings and Angst Because it Will be an Intense Build**  
****•**Face Slapping**  
****•**Humiliation**  
****•**Sexual Torture**  
****•**Muzan is a Good Teacher**  
****•**Muzan is a Sadist**  
****•**Confused Virgin**  
****•**Clueless Virgin**  
****•**Uncircumcised Penis**  
****•**Demon Daddy Muzan**  
****•**They Both Get More Than They Anticipated From This**  
****•**erotic humiliation**  
****•**How much is too much?**  
****•**Hentai Combat Muzan**  
****•**Tanjirou's Demon Daddy is Very Angry and Very Bitter.**  
****•**Tanjirou Gets the Sex Education Not Taught in the Corps..!**  
****•**Orgasm Control**  
****•**Tongues Don't Go There Sir**  
****•**Kamado Tanjirou Needs a Hug...**  
****•**Where is the 'Sentient Tongues' tag?**

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DON'T SAY I HAVEN'T WARNED YOU! I'M A SADOMASOCHISTIC WRITER.

[SEE TWITTER FOR IMAGE THAT COULD NOT GO HERE]

(Don't worry, I was hurting myself just as much as I was hurting my readers, but I love angst. The pain is bittersweet...)

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**_CHAPTER BONUS? YES! SKETCH AVAILABLE. SEE END NOTES_**

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_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

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Chapter 23: : Re-educating a Slayer IV: Lost Virginity

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**N.B.:** **Location:** Muzan's Mansion… **Time: **Late evening⏰ A few seconds later…

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.•.

.•.

**"A**h…!"

[[HUFF]]

[[HUFF]]

"…!" Tanjirou's breaths were harsh and his wide eyes were focused on Muzan, who was watching him with a mild sort of sadistic interest as his face contorted in pain.

"Have you accepted the reality of your circumstances as yet? ~" Muzan started, "The same tongues you were looking at with such disgust a few minutes ago, are about to stretch open, and claim your ass~"

"Ah…" Tanjirou twisted. "Ungh…!"

Intently examining his prey, Muzan's eyes twinkled with a crude light.

"You look like you're already in a lot of pain, but this is just the beginning, pet~" The Demon King's casual, silvery tone tormented Tanjirou as his tentacle tongue impatiently pressed at Tanjirou's bud. "As a human you seemed to have had quite the penchant for tolerating and overcoming great emotional and physical pain, but can you deal with **_this_** type of pain?"

"The pain of sexual torture…of enjoying being humiliated and abused…of losing your virginity…of losing everything that makes you pure to me…" He grinned. "It's different, you know. This kind of pain transcends the physical and is rooted in the psychological. You might even go insane. There's no way you can win against me with **_this_** kind of torture~"

"…" Wordlessly, Tanjirou twisted and heaved for air, seeming to be more focused on figuring out what was happening than listening to Muzan.

[[PANT]]

[[PANT]]

"Heh~" A laugh sounded above the distraught boy's heavy grunts and disconnected huffs of breaths.

"Can you **_tolerate_** the act of sex with me? Can you **_overcome_** the fact that once I claim you, you will be mine forever? ~"

"…!" Those words made Tanjirou sick to the depths of his being. He did not want to belong to Muzan. "Don't! No…! Stop…it—!"

"Getting stretched wide for the first time will hurt…a lot," Muzan interrupted to tell him as his puckered entrance was slowly widened with the tentacle tongue's persistent tip. "But as you're stretched wide and your prostate is stimulated, you'll experience what is known as an orgasm, where you'll be cumming hard as your tight ass squeezes my tongue~" He paused briefly then huffed. "I wonder what you'll feel like inside…~"

"Stop…stop…stop…! Don't…no…I don't want to experience anything…!" Tanjirou protested in a panicked fit, but the tongue, after retracting to lick, stretch, tease and rim his rosebud, had started to push its way in until it was slowly breaching the ring of muscle past his virgin entrance.

"Ahhh…" The strange and new experience of being spread open made Tanjirou's mouth gape in a large gasp. "No….no…!"

The copious amount of fluid coating the tongue and deposited around his anus aided penetration, but…

"So tight…" Muzan muttered, and as he both felt and saw the tongue struggling to go into Tanjirou's ass, he moaned. "Ah…~"

Tanjirou's ass was resisting his intentions to breach it by squeezing down with a mighty force, but with the sight of the puffed out flesh at the boy's entrance clenching and protesting the invasion of his vile tentacle tongue, he grunted, "Just looking at this…is so hot…~"

"Hey…no…Yah!" Tanjirou yelled. "Ouch! Stop…it! That…hurts…!"

While Muzan was relishing in the sight and feel of violating him, Tanjirou definitely was not enjoying the experience.

"No!" He yanked on the tentacles binding his arms as his hips lifted, trying to twist away from the wet tongue that was pressed against and penetrating his ass. "No…no! Tongues shouldn't go in there…! Stop it! Don't put that in my butt! Don't take my virginity…!"

[[Slap]]

"Ah…!" Tanjirou gasped in shock as he reeled from the swift, stinging slap that was delivered across his face. "Muzan-"

"Shut up." Muzan lowered his hand and patted Tanjirou's knee. "What did I just teach you?" He demanded. "Even if I push something in your ass, you're still a virgin. That's not my cock pushing into your ass. Your virginity isn't lost until my **_cock_** is in you. I'm not **_taking_** your precious virginity as yet, I'm merely preparing you. This is called foreplay. Pay attention and learn your lesson well. Whatever I believe, you must believe as well. That's the way we work, because you are a submissive—you are my pet."

"Ugh…!" Tanjirou's teeth ground together in an attempt to find release for his anger and pain as a little more of the fat, wet tongue pushed up into him. "No…stop…"

"Hmph." Muzan huffed in irritation, but then his frustration faded as his gaze went over Tanjirou's lithe, trembling body that quivered in arousal and pain.

"Damn…I had no idea you'd feel so great in here~" Muzan groaned. "This is unexpectedly a very high quality ass you have, Tanji-kun~~ Hot…tight and—"

"No…!" The burning pain made Tanjirou pull his hips back harder and he was able to move away a little from the tongue so that some of it slipped back out.

"Oh no, where do you think you're going, boy? ~" Muzan's tentacles tightened on his thighs. "Stay put."

"Eh…no…no…!" Tanjirou blinked back his tears, mouth opening into a soundless scream as the tongue rammed its way back inside and further into him.

_Yaaaah…!_

And as it pushed up without care, widening his passage bit by bit, his muted scream soon gained voice, "Ahhhhh—!"

"When I read your memories[1]," Muzan started casually, ignoring Tanjirou's pleas and pained cry, "I couldn't believe that you'd not only **_never_** had any kind of sexual stimulation from another person, but you'd never even stroked yourself once."

"A boy your age who is not even curious about his own bodily urges? Who's never masturbated? Whose main focus was killing me? You really are a weird one. No wonder you weren't sure of what your new demon body craves when it's near me. You're a virgin in every sense of the word." His laughter was derisive. "What were you aiming for? Sainthood?"

"Stop doing that…stop doing that…!" Tanjirou mumbled in a near delirious chant. "Stop putting that thing in my butt…! It can't fit no more…it can't…!" He continued to fight his Master, his voice strained as though he was on the verge of tears. "Stop…!"

[[SQUELCH]]

Sloppily, the tentacle pushed its long, soaking wet tongue up with a bit more force.

"Oh…!" Tanjirou trembled. "Ah…haah…no…it-it's going in deeper…!" He rambled, "It's filling me…ahh…it hurts…!"

"Mm, Tanjirou-kun~" Muzan hummed, humoured by the way Tanjirou was so overwhelmed that he could not pay attention, "Why were you holding on to your virginity? Did you want to be the **_saint_** that defeated the Demon King?"

"Well, you **_pure_** unfortunate soul…" he paused dramatically and with an evil smile, "…this **_demon_** is going to teach you all about the process of sex and defile you in **_every_** way imaginable until your pure, saintly body is riding my **_filthy_** cock with wild lust~"

"No…!" Tanjirou knew that Muzan was saying all this to mess with his head, but he could not stop panicking, especially when a huge tongue was being shoved into his ass. "No, no, no…!"

"And since you're the **_star_** of this show," Muzan added teasingly, "How about we name this episode of your life, "'The Saint That Got Fucked By The Demon King'?~"

"Heh~heh~"

"Stop…!" Tanjirou shouted in response to Muzan's cruel mockery and laughter. "S-stop…! This isn't funny…!"

"Of course it isn't funny~" Muzan said with a lingering grin, "It's not funny—it's absolutely tragic. A sorrowful pity. A disaster of epic proportions—" He stopped midway to wink at the distraught boy "—just kidding~ This is so funny, it's hilarious~~"

"I…" Tanjirou's glower burned into Muzan's smirk. "I'll kill you, you nasty bastard…!"

"Go ahead and do it~~" Muzan invited, leaning closer to him. "My face is right here. Why don't you slap or punch me? Maybe claw my eyes out with those excessively long nails of yours? Hm? What are you waiting for? Why are you taking so long to retaliate~"

"…" Tanjirou tried to maintain eye contact with Muzan, but he eventually had to look away as his pain—and shame mounted.

"Aww~~" Muzan pitied him with a pretentious hum. "Seems like you can't take revenge on me, pet." He leaned away from Tanjirou and smiled, eyes going back to where his tentacle tongue was pushing into him.

"Oh, and what is this…? You're not even loosening up," Muzan's comment was filled with awe as he watched more and more of the tongue fighting to wiggle its way into Tanjirou's body through his slowly stretching asshole. "Ah, but don't worry, I know what to do."

"This virgin ass just needs a thoroughly persistent and expert handling~" he informed him. "One that you'll be sure to get, so don't blame me when I spread this poor little ass of yours wide~"

In the midst of Tanjirou's quiet huffs and groans of pain, Muzan's voice was a mocking lilt. "If you think this is bad now, just wait till you see what comes next. You sure are unlucky that I'm in this form tonight. It's one heck of an experience to have for your first time, but it's **_your_** fault for getting me angry earlier[2]. Had you not done that, this torture would not have been as aggressive and painful as it's about to become~"

There was a host of fake sincerity in his words, but then Muzan cautioned, despite the look of absolute sadistic exhilaration on his face, "Just wait till I plough my cock into you~~ Losing your virginity when I'm in this form would be hard on your body but don't pass out, okay? I would be pretty angry if you lose consciousness before we're done. There's nothing more annoying than fucking a half-dead ragdoll."

"Argh…!" In spite of Muzan's warning to him, and the obvious fact that the Demon King was not willing to stop whether he begged or cursed, Tanjirou hissed, "Stop this, you jerk! I said no…!"

His expression was a mixture of rage and pain.

"You…dirty, disgusting bastard! ! ! ! What are you doing to me?! I already…I already told you to stop this…!"

"And I already told you that I won't stop," Muzan replied, ignoring Tanjirou's insults. From his point of view, Tanjirou would soon pay for every insulting thing he had ever said to him.

"Muzan—"

"Tanjirou," Muzan said firmly. "Are you **_trying_** to tell me what I should do? Who do you think is the Master here?"

"Ugh…!" The tongue had finally stopped pushing into him, and feeling completely stretched more than what he could bear, Tanjirou gritted his teeth against the pain, but as the tentacle tongue moved against, then pressed its tip on one, then another spot inside him, a shockwave of pure bliss went through his body.

"Hah…ah…!" His hips stuttered upward. "Waaa—Ah…?!"

"Bingo~ Found it on the first try~~" Muzan smirked as he watched the boy quivering on his tentacle tongue.

"You know, a human male has something called a P-Spot, which is the equivalent to the female's G-Spot," he explained as Tanjirou panted. "But unlike humans, there are additional points along the length of your colon that respond to pleasurable stimulation~"

"Ah…no…" Tanjirou's voice was like honeyed wine to Muzan's ears.

"Hmm…~" Muzan sighed happily. "Tanjirou….you're a boy who always finds the most intriguing ways to get out of the toughest situations, but this is the end for you. With a body like this, you'll become addicted to the sexual pleasure that only I can give you~"

"Ungh…." Tanjirou groaned helplessly, his expression locked in despair.

"Mmmm…and isn't this just wonderful? ~ You're getting turned on again~" Muzan's hand gently squeezed Tanjirou's hardening cock that had previously gone a bit flaccid from fear.

"…!" Tanjirou folded his lips to not cry out but that effort was useless as Muzan could still see and feel how affected he was.

With the tongue deep inside him, he could feel his little pet's prostate swelling—filling up with his first cum.

And Muzan could not wait to taste its sweet nectar.

"Hmm…Oh Tanji-kun~~your cock is getting harder than before," Muzan teased whilst licking his lips. "And you're already squirting precum, heh~ Told you it'll feel good once your prostate is stimulated~"

"What…?" Tanjirou moaned again and as that tongue continued wiggling while those near his chest began to lick over his stiff peaking nipples, he felt stimulated all over.

"Wait…stop…ah…!"

"Un…!" A bit more fear embedded itself in his heart as Tanjirou felt the budding of an emotion he could not comprehend. It was the same as what he had experienced when Muzan had been holding him down in his dreams[3], and also licking his ear[4]; but now it was even more pronounced.

It was desire, strong and unbidden for the one torturing him, combined with an intensity of pleasure rushing up from his toes, through his legs and right to a point deep in his belly.

And this time, unlike in his dream, it felt as though it was heading toward an endpoint.

Fear and confusion made his eyes go wide, but desire sent them down into half-masts as the feeling in his entire body continued building rapidly.

"Ah…mmm…no…"

His breaths became harsh pants.

[[HAH]]

[[PANT]]

[[HUFF]]

"…!" And then a shiver took him over , sweetening his moans into a dulcet of high pitched cries.

"Ah…ungh…oh…."

_What's happening to me…?_

_What's…happening—?!_

_xxx_

**N.B.:** Meanwhile, Ubuyashiki Mansion…

The evening had long since diffused into a cold, dark night; one filled with a darkness so persistent and untouchable that the bright stars and haunting moon did naught to ease its gloom.

All this wrought was to create more shadows that clung to the perimeter of nooks and crevices and one such shadow, a man by the name of Iguro Obanai, lurked within the halls of the Ubuyashiki Mansion, even while most of the other Slayers on the compound had already retired to their quarters.

"…" Obanai frowned, a gesture that remained unseen beneath his face bandages as he observed the lone figure in the room beyond the open doorway where he stood.

Tomioka Giyuu, sitting cross-legged and perfectly still on the tatami mat before the fireplace, had not moved an inch in the hour since he had been studying him.

After the meeting they had had earlier that day[CHAPTER II], the Pillars had all—excepting Giyuu—congregated for dinner with Kiriya and the Ubuyashiki twin sisters, Kuina and Kanata.

It was a grand affair, but never before had he attended such a great feast that felt more like a post-funeral meetup than the social event that it was meant to be.

Everyone present was in a sour mood. No one spoke, and because he had spoken with Mitsuri right after their big meeting and before that dinner about everything that was currently taking place, he felt as though he was more attuned to everyone's grief and the fake expressions of normalcy they put up in order to act as though they were doing fine.

Nothing made their failures feel more real than that group dinner.

One month earlier, prior to having been split into teams to carry out their search for Tanjirou across Japan, they had been so hopeful that the boy would have been found. But one month after the fact, none of them had any good news worth celebrating to report.

And every account given only showed more and more, how much of a mastermind Muzan was in plotting his scheme to disappear with Tanjirou.

In the end, the atmosphere at that dinner was so dismal that even Giyuu's normally invisible presence was noted in his very real absence from their gathering.

_Tomioka Giyuu… _Obanai thought while pondering this and all the things Mitsuri had told him about their fellow Pillar, _…before, I would have scolded you for breaking the rules of the Corps and refusing to eat with us._

_I would have accused you of deliberately disrupting our teamwork._

_Before…after hearing about what you had been attempting at Natagumo, I would have told you that what you feel is insignificant to the bigger picture and I would have repeated to you what I had told Tengen—that you had no free choice in choosing to leave us_ _ **[5]** _ _._

_Ultimately… I would have wondered whether your life was so meaningless that you wanted to throw it away. _

_But ...now I understand—Tanjirou was just that important to you._

_._

_xxx_

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_Cut away the despair__  
Even with all I've lost, even with all I've lost  
I have no choice but to keep living  
Even if I am beaten down  
__There are things to protect_

**_— Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

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**Chapter Bonus?: **Please see my twitter for the link to the:

\- **ART BONUSES! Both for the last chapter and this one! This chapter has **_GUEST ART: GIYUU SKETCH BY KETSALISTLI!_

_\- Arc banner_

_\- Chapter meme_

.

**The bonuses are always on Privatter (unless they're excessively NSFW. Then they'll be on Gumroad).** Remember, if you want to see a history of all the posted media, you can click on the "Media" tab in My group's twitter or go to the link in the header and then click the tab that says "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination). It's the third tab after you click the link. All the uploads are there.

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**Next Chapter Title: Re-educating a Slayer V: To Die or Not to Die… **

**Next Chapter Teaser: **While Tanjirou suffers greatly, Giyuu Tomioka, being the one who had introduced him to the life of a Slayer, struggles to accept the way things have become, but in the sea of his despair, he gets help from an unexpected source.

**NOTE: **The next two chapters will divert to show the Hashiras and what's been happening while Tanjirou was missing so plz don't complain about the diversion—remember, this isn't a Porn Without Plot; it's a Porn With Plot and you need to know what they are doing so that you will understand later events…

**NEXT UPDATE ******MESSAGE**: **I will see you all in two weeks for the next update. I have soooo much work to do in that time (as usual). I'll be buried under a pile of writings that need to be edited and scenes that must be written.

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**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter**

**(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):**

**Hmm.**

**-1. "**_Well, you pure unfortunate soul…"_

Author: When I wrote this I was reminded of the Disney song with the line 'You poor unfortunate soul'

**a. **_"And since you're the star of this show," Muzan said teasingly, "How about we name this episode of your life, "'The Saint That Got Fucked By The Demon King'?~"_

_"Stop…" Tanjirou shouted in response to Muzan's cruel mockery and laughter. "S-stop…! This isn't funny…!"_

Author: Sorry Tanjirou, I was laughing so much when I wrote this…

**b. **"Go ahead and do it~~" Muzan invited, leaning closer to him. "My face is right here. Why don't you slap or punch me? Maybe claw my eyes out with those excessively long nails of yours? Hm? What are you waiting for? Why are you taking so long to retaliate~"

Author: Muzan is such a jerk xD I envisioned him leaning close to Tanjirou's face, grinning and mocking him as he said this.

-2 _"You're so unlucky that I'm in this form tonight. What an experience to have for your first time, but it's your fault for getting me angry earlier."_

Author: You'll see why he said Tanjirou is unlucky to be fucked while he's in his Combat Form :o

-3 '_What's happening to me…?'_

Author: I wonder…:)

-4 "…_after hearing about what you had been attempting at Natagumo"_

Author: hmmm…what did Giyuu attempt to do at Natagumo while Tanjirou was missing…?

**IMPORTANT NOTE: T**anjirou may seem to be contradicting himself a lot in this when at one time you would see him wishing for death, and at another time you'd see him reminding himself that he has to hold on in order to win against Muzan and not be taken over. This is because of his rampant emotions. He's in turmoil right now (and will be even more stressed later) so his thought process isn't clear and this disparity is clue that his mind is already at odds and slowly breaking.

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**REFERENCES / IMPORTANT FOOTNOTES**:

[1] _"__When I read your memories" _Author: Muzan read Tanjirou's memories in Chapter 4

[2] _'__but it's your fault for getting me angry earlier'_ Author: Muzan's referring to chapter 5 where his form changed into the Combat Muzan after Tanjirou kicked him out of his dream.

[3]_ '__It was the same as what he had experienced when Muzan had been holding him down in his dreams'_ Chapter 4; Bond II: The Master and His Pet

[4] _'…__licking his ear__ '_ Chapter 9, Cat

[5] "_I would have told you what I had told Tengen—that you had no free choice in choosing to leave us" _Author: this is a reference to Manga Chapter 97; when he had told Tengen that he would not accept his resignation from the Corps and that he had a responsibility to stay as the number of youths were declining and their ranks had already taken a hit with Kyojuro's demise.

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	24. Re-educating a Slayer V: To Die or Not

Notes:

In this part of the "Re-educating a Slayer" arc, the focus is on Tomioka Giyuu as the story shifts to show what is happening with the Slayers while Tanjirou is fighting his battle.

The next few chapters have three of my favorite characters from KNY. And oh man, I love Giyuu so much and I loved writing him in this! I know that some people won't like these chapters because there's no sex involved and it diverts from what is happening with Tanjirou, but I hope that there will at least be one person who would not only appreciate the foundation that is being laid for the future plot, but also the character development that is taking place. To that person who appreciates these things and the work that I put into this story, thank you from the bottom of my heart

... 🐺🐥

And speaking of appreciation, I would like to thank those who have taken the time to leave kudos and reviews. And most gratefully, I'll like to thank E Jay and Ketsalistlis for the birthday wishes!

With respect to my health, I'm doing better. A week ago I was pretty sick with a fever and body pain but don't worry, I self-quarantined during that time.

I hope that you all are fine.

* * *

Chapter Summary:

While Tanjirou suffers greatly, Giyuu Tomioka, being the one who had introduced him to the life of a Slayer, struggles to accept the way things have become, but whilst trapped in the sea of his despair, he gets help from an unexpected source.

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Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

.

_"Memory of a conversation."_

_._

"Hah…" A heavy sigh / exhale of breath.

* * *

**_APPLICABLE WARNING TAGS FOR THIS CHAPTER:_**

**• SUICIDE MENTION**

**• ANGST**

* * *

**_.  
_**

* * *

_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

* * *

Chapter 24: : Re-educating a Slayer V: To Die or Not to Die…

.•.

.•.

_I would have wondered whether your life was so meaningless that you wanted to throw it away. But now I understand—Tanjirou was just that important to you._

xxx

**N.B.:** At the Ubuyashiki Mansion, late evening…

.•.

.•.

.•.

_[[TAT]]_

_[[TAT]]_

_[[TAT]]_

**_H_**_M...?_

"..." THE MUTED SOUND OF approaching footsteps was almost absent—too restrained for even the sharpest ear to pick up—but Obanai's head tilted to the right to instantly lock gazes with the one walking up behind him.

The young woman, caught in her attempt to sneak up on him, made a soft sound, much like a little gasp, her expression betraying her surprise at his outstanding observational skills.

Although she had been using her stealth, he had sensed her immediately, as though sound was inconsequential and her aura was one that he knew through and through.

"Ah," Mitsuri pouted, blushing slightly when the open look of admiration in his keen, mismatched eyes intensified on her. It was so difficult to keep a straight face around him these days. Now that she was aware of the love he had been withholding all the while they had been friends, it was easier to notice the passionate gazes he would give her; or maybe he had simply stopped hiding them.

"..." Instead of immediately addressing him, Mitsuri closed her eyes briefly and pushed the tray she was holding at him to hide her heated reaction to his attention. "You always make it so hard to sneak up on you."

Obanai gave no response to this accusation and as he continued staring at her, he could see that this was making Mitsuri a bit uncomfortable, but he could not help it.

The corridor was darkened, dimly lit only by the ghost of the light emanating from behind patterned rice paper doors along its length, but the female before him was…

_Beautiful._

One word, one adjective to describe the most important woman in his life, but Obanai felt as though even that word was not enough.

Glowing like an angel, Mitsuri was the brightest light in that space, a calming oasis in the desert of his despair, and his heartbeat increased its staccato despite his expression remaining unbothered.

[[BADUM]]

[[BADUM]]

"What's the matter with my **_boyfriend_**, hm? Cat got your tongue?" Mitsuri drawled this in a teasing manner although her voice trembled while she said it. It trembled with the desire she felt for him and her cheeks colored themselves a pretty shade of rouge when she saw that she was finally able to make him blush a little.

It was so much fun to tease Obanai—especially about their new relationship.

Mitsuri had figured out quite early that all she had to do was call him her 'boyfriend', and he would instantly go red in the face.

This made her want to tease him more—to play with him until his stoic barricade came tumbling down—but Mitsuri knew that she had to wait, as there were more pressing matters to deal with at the moment.

_Not yet. _

_We're here to focus on Giyuu. _

Her expression became sad.

_Ah… poor Giyuu. I wonder if he's okay…?_

"Nothing's happening with him," Obanai spoke up at last, giving her an answer to the unspoken question in her eyes instead of giving in to her taunt as he pointed inside the room where Giyuu sat, "...so you can stop worrying now."

"Hm." Mitsuri glanced to Giyuu, back to Obanai, then pointedly down at the tray she was still holding out to him.

When Obanai finally took the hint and took it from her, she reached out to pat Kaburamaru's head as she whispered, "You know…We have to do whatever we can in these crazy times to motivate one another."

Obanai frowned at this. "I don't think that Giyuu wants to see me," he said plainly.

At his comment, Mitsuri examined the light lingering blush that was scarcely visible in the dim lighting and above the bandages on his face.

Although they had teamed up to ardently search Japan for Tanjirou, they had only seen each other a few times in the past month, and because of that, she had not gotten to speak with him at length prior to the meeting Kiriya had organized for all the Pillars that morning.

Thus, Obanai had not been aware of Giyuu's condition and had made some comments that had been rather harsh about Tanjirou's situation; comments that caused him to feel terrible now that he had been appraised of Giyuu's circumstances for being at the mansion an entire week before the rest of them had been called back.

"Don't worry about it," Mitsuri said gently, as though sensing the gravity of his thoughts. "You were not aware of what Giyuu had gone through after Muzan had taken Tanjirou. There was no way for you to know that he almost succeeded in committing seppuku…"

"..." Obanai visibly paled at that reminder. Was he really not to blame as Mitsuri assured him?

On the surface, it appeared as though he and Giyuu did not get along well or were indifferent to each other, but that was only because when it came to dealing with the stoic and unsociable Water Pillar, it almost always turned out that he was misunderstood, so Obanai simply preferred to not deal with him directly.

One such misunderstanding between them was at the Pillar meeting they had had back when Tanjirou's situation with Nezuko was first divulged.

On hearing what Tanjirou was doing and how irresponsible Urokodaki and Giyuu were being by permitting and encouraging Tanjirou's travels with a demon, he had been the first to be openly critical of the Water Pillar's actions and had ended up acting as though he was desperate for Giyuu to atone for his crime.

.

_"What are we going to do about Tomioka? Kocho says Tomioka broke Corps rules too. What shall we do about this? How shall he take responsibility? What price shall he pay? Right now he's wandering around freely, and that gives me a headache [Manga Chapter 45]."_

_._

And to add insult to injury, he had subsequently openly miscommunicated his general opinion on the matter as one where he felt that his fellow Pillar's declaration to make amends for any trouble by dying meant nothing to him.

But the reality of the situation was not that he did not care; it was that he had been angered by Giyuu's stance. He had hated the fact that Tanjirou's reckless action in traveling with a demon had the potential to destabilize what the Slayers stood up for and it upset him that Giyuu was so willing to throw away his life for a mere gamble that the demon girl would not kill anyone.

What made Tanjirou and his sister so important that they were worth that much sacrifice and even an endorsement from the Master himself?

At that time, Obanai did not see how important Nezuko was in the entire spate of things and had thus sided with Sanemi to prove that she could not be trusted and that Tanjirou deserved to be punished.

And naturally, this did not sit well with Giyuu.

Thus, it was inevitable that he would clash with both Tanjirou and Giyuu based on their difference in opinions as to what to do with Nezuko.

.

_"What are you doing, Tomioka? [Manga Chapter 47]"_

.

His question to Giyuu back then, had sought to understand the nature of the madness that the Water Pillar had gotten himself tied up in, but Giyuu had simply refused to answer him.

This had only made Obanai angrier, because there he was trying to stop Tanjirou's crazy decision that could lead to not only Giyuu's death, but the death of countless others, but there was Giyuu trying to facilitate it.

Was he out of his mind?

Were his self-preservation skills so twisted?

But it would not be until much later that Obanai would finally deduce the answer to his unanswered questions. That day, Giyuu had been trying to tell him in his own way to not be so rash about judging Tanjirou and Nezuko, and to give them a chance to show what they could do for the Slayer Corps.

And now that Tanjirou was possibly in a similar situation as Nezuko's former state, Obanai knew that he had once again done something that was uncalled for by boldly stating that Tanjirou was most likely dead.

At the meeting earlier that day, Giyuu had looked so much like his usual unsociable, quiet self that he had not picked up on the other man's ongoing internal mental struggle.

He had thought that, by stating the obvious and getting everyone to accept the very likely truth of Tanjirou's situation, he would have been doing them all a favor.

People needed to face reality.

They needed to accept the way of things and stop deluding themselves for a brief escape.

Delusions led to dangerous situations.

That was what he had always believed, but after the Pillar meeting Mitsuri had pulled him aside so fast and with such anger marking her features, that he was sure that she was about to break up with him.

.

_"What is wrong with you? How can you say something like that with Giyuu right there?"_

_"Obanai…you need to pay more attention to people's feelings and not be so strict about the rules. Maybe then, you will notice some very important things…"_

_._

Her sad tone and the disappointed look in her eyes had surprised him. Mitsuri had never looked at him in that way before.

And that was when Obanai had had a reality check.

After loving her for so long, to lose her because he was ignorant to the feelings of another would have devastated him when he, like everyone else in the Corps, was already at his lowest.

Thankfully, he was not dumped but during their little chat, he had learned more about the silent Water Pillar than he thought he had cared to know.

Giyuu was not rude or a person who willingly went against the ideals of the Slayer Corps whenever he pleased. He was simply bad at communicating his feelings and thoughts to those who tried to interact with him.

Mitsuri had known this all along, as her nature was that of a person who could not bear to leave anyone behind. She paid close attention to others, loved deeply and longed to heal the hearts of the broken _[Manga Chapter 200]_ and this was never any clearer to Obanai than it was at present.

She was such a beautiful soul and her attempt to help Giyuu had Obanai realizing that he was falling even more in love with her.

To him, Mitsuri was truly deserving of her title as the 'Love Pillar', as her words had touched his heart deeply. So deeply that as soon as he was done speaking with her, he had taken quite some time alone to think things over to himself. Then, it was no surprise that after dinner, he had gravitated to the room where Giyuu was staying, to now be standing outside it looking at him.

For some reason, Obanai had been unable to stop thinking about all the negative things he had said to Giyuu in the past when he had thought that he was just ill-mannered, rebellious and anti-social.

At present, with Mitsuri's words acting as a catalyst, the thoughts he was having toward him were no longer apathetic or confrontational and Obanai found himself needing to see Giyuu to know whether or not he was doing okay in his current predicament.

"Hm."

The musical sound Mitsuri made in her throat pulled Obanai's attention back to her and as their eyes met, she smiled.

"There are things that are unavoidable," Mitsuri said, as Kaburamaru leaned into the gentle, loving head pats she was giving him, "...but most relationships can be maintained, deepened and even repaired if we try to be a little nicer to one another."

She paused suddenly and Obanai felt his heart tighten as the look in her pale green eyes softened.

[[BADUM]]

"Remember when you told me that you loved me?"

Mitsuri did not wait for the flustered Pillar to say anything before she went on, "It was so crazy how your confession happened while Yushirō was right there. He was so mad." She chuckled. "But I felt so silly. I had had no idea of how you felt. All this time, you wanted to be with me, while I was so lonely and thought that no one wanted me." A kind smile settled on her lips when she saw the regret in his eyes. "All it took was for you to think that you were going to die that night to confess…"

"Mitsuri…I—"

"Don't worry, I'm not blaming you for being hesitant," Mitsuri was quick to assure him. "Because I too have been hesitant." A sigh left her lips. "What I'm trying to say, is that nothing brings out the authenticity of emotions more than the thought that we can lose someone. It's the same with how you feel about Giyuu, right? I know how you feel about him."

"..." Obanai watched as Mitsuri dragged her fingertip down the length of Kaburamaru's body and as the snake hissed in approval, he felt a bit jealous that he was not the one she was touching. "Mitsuri—"

"If you truly feel bad about what you said to Giyuu in that meeting today, and you regret all your past misunderstandings, come with me—let's have our own meeting with him." Mitsuri stated this with a light smile before promptly turning and walking into Giyuu's room.

"Wait," Obanai whispered to her back. "I don't think…"

But as Mitsuri continued walking without looking back, Obanai looked down at the food tray she had thrust into his hands earlier.

_Oh._

He realized then that Mitsuri had made it that he would have no other choice than to face Giyuu and make things right with him.

xxx

**.**

**N.B.:** A few seconds later…

"…" As Mitsuri entered the room, her gaze went over its sole occupant.

As unmoving as a rock and seated cross-legged opposite the fireplace, Tomioka Giyuu was still dressed in his mismatched Haori and Slayer uniform—the same that he had been wearing at the meeting that morning.

Since all the Pillars had been called back to the Ubuyashiki mansion for a series of meetings before their next order, it was not necessary to remain dressed in their uniforms and the others—Sanemi, Gyōmei and Zenitsu—had already changed into their own yukatas.

This told her that Giyuu had simply returned to his room after their Pillar meeting and remained there without moving for hours.

His whole aura and condition of dress spoke volumes of how indifferent he was to reality at that moment.

Just seeing him like this pulled at her heartstrings and bearing a great desire to say something light-hearted and positive, she called to him, "Ah, I can't see much with that Haori you're wearing, but it seems that you've already started gaining back most of your weight. That's good. I guess you must really like my cooking, huh?"

But her attempt at making lively conversation with him was useless as this was not the appropriate icebreaker to use.

Sure, Mitsuri was a great cook, but she had failed to mention that Giyuu was regaining his weight not because of her cooking skills, but because every feeding session was basically a fight with her – which she won of course, due to her brute strength.

Eventually, Giyuu had just given up trying to fight her and ate everything that was presented to him whenever it was Mitsuri who brought his food.

The truth was that unlike the other Pillars, Giyuu had not returned to the Ubuyashiki mansion of his own free will. And as he was refusing to eat, Mitsuri had taken it upon herself to ensure that he did not perish at his own hands.

"…" A few seconds passed and although Giyuu was aware that Mitsuri was standing behind him looking his way, he remained silent.

It was dinner time and knowing that she had come to feed him, he was not looking forward to having her presence in his room.

Thus, instead of acknowledging her, he continued to look straight ahead, into the crackling fire as though it was telling him a story that he needed to pay attention to.

"Giyuu…?"

No response.

Obanai and Mitsuri exchanged a slightly concerned look and as the stifling silence engulfed the room, the resolute man sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat radiated an atmosphere bearing a weight that felt like the concentration of the collective grief within the Ubuyashiki mansion.

Grief.

Regret.

Pain.

Save for his emotionless visage, Giyuu appeared to be every bit of the grieving samurai that he currently was.

_Cold._

Mitsuri shivered reflexively.

The only warmth in that room was coming the dancing flames before them that cast a weak light, creating moving shapes along the walls and floor.

But even that warmth was fading as the strength of the fire dwindled bit by bit.

Giyuu seemed as though he had been content to watch it fade into ash and remain in the frigid, dark and lonely room.

"Hah…"

With a heavy sigh that was much unlike her usual bubbly persona, Mitsuri walked past the dour, quiet man to the fireplace a few feet away from them.

"The fire is dying," she said softly, not realizing that the phrase she'd uttered was suited to the general atmosphere in the mansion and not just the fireplace—the way things were going, it was as if the fire in the Pillars' hearts was slowly going out.

"You know," Mitsuri added, kneeling on the soft rug before the fire and reaching for the kindling wood nearby. "The least you could have done was put more wood on it."

"Giyuu…" Her breath huffed into the cold room. "Even the smallest, most insignificant spark can add warmth to the coldest room." She looked back at him briefly to give him a sad smile. "And even the smallest, most insignificant spark can become the light to tame the darkest night. Don't let go of your hope."

"…" Giyuu simply watched her as she went back to work, stacking the wood to revive the fire, and made no move to help, or reply to her statement.

[[SHUFFLE]]

The sound of movement to his left alerted him to the presence of the one who he was aware had come in with the Love Pillar, but Giyuu refused to turn to acknowledge him and merely kept looking straight ahead.

_Iguro Obanai… _

_Why is he here…?_

"Are you going to keep ignoring me?" Obanai drawled and as Giyuu finally looked up at him and their gazes locked, he frowned.

.

_"Tanjirou's probably dead already."_

_._

Giyuu could hear his words from earlier, repeating themselves resoundingly clear in his head.

.

_"I'm just being realistic…Tanjirou has improved his technique quite a lot. He's really strong. But just as we know Tanjirou, we know Muzan. This is **Muzan** we're talking about. We have to expect the worst[Chapter 2]."_

.

That memory had Giyuu looking away from Obanai, but his attempt to rebuff him only brought Giyuu face-to-face with Mitsuri, who was now sitting opposite him on her knees and leaning close to his face.

"...?"

Had he been so preoccupied with looking at the Snake Pillar that he had not noticed the Love Pillar's approach—or maybe it was not for a lack of observation, but for the simple reason that her stealth was top tier?

"Giyuu?" Mitsuri cocked her head to one side as she tried to study his poker faced expression. It was always so hard to tell what he was thinking.

"…" Giyuu blinked, his expression unchanging but his heart picked up an erratic pace.

[[BADUM]]

He was as uncomfortable with people as always.

_What…?_

_Why is she so close…?_

Mitsuri's face was so close to his that he could see that some of her eyelash hairs had a green hue, while the others were either a dark pink or a deep shade of brown.

[[BADUM]]

Briefly, Giyuu contemplated leaving, but he knew full well that this persistent and unnaturally strong woman would only follow him wherever he went and bring him back, even if that meant throwing him over her shoulder and carrying him back to his room.

_Just like how she brought me here in the first place…_

_._

_"Kanroji-san…what…? What are you doing…? Put me down…"_

_"No, Giyuu. You're not well, if I leave you here you will die. You're coming back to the Ubuyashiki estate with me."_

_"But—"_

_._

That was a week ago and it was the last memory he had had—of being in the Natagumo Mountains, refusing to come back to the Ubuyashiki Mansion, then being thrown over her shoulder—before he had blacked out and regained consciousness a day later in the room where he was currently staying.

The frown tugging at his lips curved further downwards.

"Why are you so moody?" Mitsuri asked, whilst reaching out to grab hold of his hands. "Was today's meeting too much for you?"

"…" Instead of replying, Giyuu looked down to where she was holding his hands on his lap.

_What…?_

Things were worsening by the minute.

"Obanai is really sorry for what he said at the meeting," Mitsuri went on, wholly oblivious to Giyuu's internal panic. "You know how he is—he can come off as a bit harsh—but I assure you that all this time, he was looking for Tanjirou just as desperately as we all were."

"And…" After a brief pause she added, "I think that there's something else that needs to be clarified between the two of you."

When Giyuu looked back to her face to give her a puzzled frown, Mitsuri continued, "Obanai feels the same as I do—he does not want you to die."

Giyuu's frown did no ease up at this statement, but Mitsuri persisted, "I think that you should strive to understand that we as your colleagues care about you and want you to recover as soon as possible."

She smiled. "You may argue that back at that meeting to decide Nezuko's fate _[Manga Chapter 45-47]_, both Sanemi and Obanai made it look as though they did not care whether you committed seppuku or not, but that was a misunderstanding. Sanemi is just a bit harsh but he does not mean what he says, and Obanai had acted that way to you and Tanjirou because he was angry and did not want you to die for the demon girl. They both did not understand a lot of things back then, but things are different now."

"Yes," Obanai mumbled his agreement, "At this point, your death would not be a good thing."

"…" _What?_ Giyuu, momentarily forgetting his discomfort in Mitsuri's presence, looked up at Obanai in surprise.

_Is that…really how it is…?_

_Do you really think that I should not die for what I did…?_

_xxx_

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_TWITTER BROWNSUGARPROD1  
_

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Cut away the despair

Even with all I've lost, even with all I've lost

I have no choice but to keep living

Even if I am beaten down

There are things to protect

**— Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)**

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

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**Chapter Bonus?: **Please see my twitter for the link to the:

\- **ART BONUSES! This chapter has **

_GUEST ART: GIYUU, MITSURI AND OBANAI SKETCH BY KETSALISTLI!_

_\- Arc banner_

_\- Chapter meme_

_\- Character Cards_

_****CHAPTER BONUSES:**** I've redone how I show the bonuses to make it easier to find them all, from the first to the current chapter, so please see my Twitter for the link to the document with the art bonuses that couldn't fit here. It is the only link in my profile. When you click on that link you will see a stack of links. It is the first slot titled "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination). This will take you to a folder with the document titled "Ruination: The FFNET User's Guide to the Art Bonuses."_

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**Next Chapter Title: ****Re-educating a Slayer VI: Missing Person  
**

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Trapped in the mire of hopelessness that Muzan had put the entire Corps into, Mitsuri and Obanai are determined to get the lone soul, Tomioka Giyuu, to look outside his self-made cage of despair and accept their help. They refuse to despair despite how obvious it is that Muzan has the upper hand. To them, they may have been beaten down, but they are determined to start the journey to healing.

As long as they continue to fight their way forward, fate will provide them with an outcome that will be the solution to all their troubles.

At least…this is what they hope for with all their hearts, but life does not always provide the outcome that is most desired.

**REMEMBER: **This is the part of the arc that is about Giyuu / Mitsuri / Obanai and shows what's been happening while Tanjirou is missing so plz don't complain about the diversion—remember, this isn't a Porn Without Plot; it's a Porn With Plot, so kindly make way for the plot…

**NEXT UPDATE ******MESSAGE**: **AVAILABLE NOW

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**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter**

**(NOTE...I don't try to be funny in these notes. These are actual, genuine things that go through my mind while I'm editing. Tbh I'm full of sh*t):**

**Hmm.**

**This end notes section is brought to you by an anti-social Giyuu…**

(SEE TWITTER LINK FOR IMAGE THAT COULDN'T GO HERE)

**Author: **Ahhhhaha now I know why I like him so much ^^^^^^ Giyuu is my whole mood with people irl xD (but you guys can talk to me, I don't mind)

**-1 **The end song excerpt is perfect for this chapter because Mitsuri wants to help Giyuu to "cut away the despair" that he is feeling, remind him that he has to "keep living" and that even though he's been "beaten down", that "there are things to protect".

**-b "**_It was so crazy how your confession happened while Yushirō was right there. He was so mad."_

Author: You know how it's said that one small change of action in the past can cause an entire state of events to change in the future? Well, that is what happened here. Think of the manga as what really happened and this story as what would have happened if Muzan had kidnapped Tanjirou instead of fighting.

Muzan took Tanjirou before Nakime was taken over by Yushirō so it was not Muzan who had killed her. Like I mentioned before, with almost all his Moons dead, Muzan was intending to have Nakime teleport him and Tanjirou to his mansion and then Nakime would have followed, but what happened was that after Nakime got him and Tanjirou out, Yushirō took control of her and Obanai and Mitsuri killed her. They were injured in the process and at the moment of Tanjirou's kidnapping, the three of them(Yushirō, Obanai, Mitsuri) were not aware that Muzan had escaped as yet and that the battle was essentially in Tanjirou's hands now so before the crow alerted them to head to where Tanjirou and Giyuu were, Obanai, thinking that he would surely die in the next battle, had poured out his heart to Mitsuri while Yushirō was treating their injuries.

But ahahaha poor Yushirō… I can imagine how disgruntled he was with having to witness that love confession and that thought makes me so happy xD

**-2 '**_What…?_

_Why is she so close…?'_

Author: I did not intend it that way while writing, but while editing I realized that Giyuu's reaction to Mitsuri's proximity is just like in manga chapter 130 with Tanjirou when Tanjirou was super close to him—except that in this case, Mitsuri is even closer than Tanjirou was. Poor Giyuu….always having to deal with people disrespecting his personal space.

**-3 _'_**_Briefly, Giyuu contemplated leaving, but he knew full well that this persistent and unnaturally strong woman would only follow him wherever he went and bring him back…'_

Author: Once again, I'm noticing parallels with Tanjirou haha. Like when Tanjirou kept following him everywhere and refused to leave until he spoke to him (that was so funny) xD

**-b _'…_**_even if that meant throwing him over her shoulder and carrying him back to his room._

_Just like how she brought me here in the first place…'_

Author: ahahahahaha yessss Giyuu is not at the Ubuyashiki estate of his own free will…he was brought there **_Amazonian Warrior / Huntress style_** by Mitsuri. I'm laughing just imagining her throwing him over her shoulder and carrying him all the way back to the mansion…sorry ^^;

Also…isn't it ironic that both Giyuu and Tanjirou got taken to a mansion against their will? Lol, although for totally different reasons….

**-4 _'_**_Instead of replying, Giyuu looked down to where she was holding his hands on his lap._

_What…?_

_Things were worsening by the minute.'_

Author: Ahahahaha and it gets more uncomfortable for you, Giyuu xD

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**REPLIES:**

**xSOFTLY:** I'm glad that I was able to surprise you!

**DYSPHOL: **Haha I hope that you enjoyed your time at the beach. Thanks for leaving your review. You don't sound like a psycho at all...I was also laughing when I writing this (or maybe I'm a psycho too *thinking face*)! Muzan is just having the time of his life teasing Tanjirou! And the more Tanjirou tries to delay the inevitable is the more Muzan has fun and I'm all here for Muzan having a good time XDDD Gosh...it just warms my heart to know that I've cheered you up so much by writing this. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for all your support! I feel so valid haha

**NANINONDESUKA: **HEHE Sorry for the wait! Glad that this made you happy!

**KANON58: **Gah yes thank God I'm still alive tbh I thought for a few times that it was the end for me lol. Thanks for the compliment I did my best. Yep I'm back on stage and here I am hoping you all like my presentation! Ah it's a pity that most of the other fics are discontinued. Maybe they might come back one day... It is absolutely positively excellent that you intend to write one (or a few) yourself! I haven't been able to check out your work beyond navigating to your profile as I am drowning in incomplete projects from all over, but I do want you to know that I wholly support what you're doing and wish you the best in your writing! Keep doing your best! Lol I don't intentionally do the cliffhanger thing xDDDD I guess it must just be my writing style because no matter where I cut a chapter, there will always be a cliff, especially since most of the story involves rising action without a resolution as yet DX So the bad news for you is that there will be cliffhangers till the end sorry ha xD

#2: As for Giyuu coming to the rescue, LOL Tanjirou would love that very much but...will Muzan like that? Will Muzan dare let anyone attempt to steal his new toy? Hmmmmmm hahaha

Yessss Tanji-kun's destruction will be beautiful and I enjoy the physical and emotional aspects of mind-break so you know it's going to be a very detailed ruination-I'm so excited just thinking of it.

Ah...Idk either (why we're so sadistic)! A curse maybe HAHA

My favorite aspect about ships like this is the potential for everything from pain to pleasure, to fluff, angst and character development. It's like a whole damn meal!

**ACJMONKEYAJ: **Haha yeah Tanjirou is not having an easy time at all! It is terrible, but the question is, even if his friends hurry, will he be saved? :o At this point, I think that he can resist when biting Nezuko, but tbh I cannot guarantee what could happen if / when Muzan succeeds in mind-breaking him. This is why Tanjirou is fighting so hard, because he is aware that there is a demon within him that lacks morals and restraint but that fight, is like fighting a losing battle...

#2: First of all, congratulations on reaching the fourth chapter of your fic! Amazing progress from the looks of things. I like how your oc's name ties in with the abilities that you have mentioned. Also, those abilities sound good so far.

As for suggestions, I'm really bad at coming up with names / processes outside of an active brain storm / inspiration so I'm not sure if I can be of any help to you. What I can suggest though, is that you can consider abilities where she causes:

\- CONFUSION (Maybe through the creation of after images)

\- SOMETHING THAT SHOWS OFF HER PHYSICAL ABILITIES (Like her flexibility and speed)

You see, the first two abilities you've mentioned are good enough that you won't want them to all be overpowered. Imo, that would make them all forgettable. You'd want the audience to focus on or anticipate a few while the others act as support for the main ones. Because, if you look at the KNY demon techniques, they seem to ascend in severity depending on how desperate the situation that the demon is in.

Ah well that is just my take on it. I hope that I was at least somewhat able to offer a bit of inspiration! Good luck!

**JUJU:** Muzan's "little cum dumpster bitch" hahahaha Ah yes my dear LOL. And you even want to hurt the Slayers and Nezuko by making them knowledgeable of this? Welp well I must say that our minds are on a somewhat similar wavelength. Angst, sadism, hopelessness... And here I was thinking that I was a sadist to Tanjirou and too mean to him but your sadism is on a higher level xD Thank you for making me feel so much better about my cruelty xDDDDDD

#2: asdfghjkl you really want to hurt Tanji-kun don't you haha. Well, based on what I have already written, Muzan will explain the logistics of it in a later chapter, but there isnt much of anything left inside of Tanjirou's innards for what you have mentioned to happen lol. Remember, he's been starving him and feeding him broths for 31 days so most of everything in there is gone lol. But I assure you that something equally as humiliating and devastating will happen to shame him and make him wish for death...


	25. Re-educating a Slayer VI: Missing Person

Notes:

Double update!... 🐺🐥

I wouldn't lie; writing this update took a lot of work but I also had a fair amount of hesitation on posting it because I know how some readers can be overly critical when authors try to include plot in a rated story. So here I am throwing caution to the wind and including plot and character development anyway. For those who do not know my writing style, I love emotional turmoil in my characters so I like to mix the most detailed, disgusting smut with angst and plot. And any old fan of mine would recognize the signs...this is me gearing up to ruin someone in the worst way so if you know this is not your cup of tea, I don't know what to say because I have outlined for there to be a lot of smut chapters after this Pillar mini arc (so much that you might get sick), but there will also be a few deep plot chapters as the story goes on. I'm doing my best...

So...No smut or Tanjirou in this part of the arc but this is important, believe me. It will make the future acts and pain even more painful yesssssssss (don't be scared, everything will be okay. Maybe...👉👈...😊)

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Chapter Summary:

Despite Giyuu's reluctance and vague refusal of their help, Mitsuri struggles to keep the fire in their hearts burning. She hopes that with her efforts in persisting to help him, that he will realize that all is not lost.

At least…not as yet.

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Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

.

_"Memory of a conversation."_

_._

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**_._**

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**_APPLICABLE WARNING TAGS FOR THIS CHAPTER:_**

**• SUICIDE MENTION**

**• ANGST**

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.

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**_CHAPTER BONUS? YES! LINED DRAWING, _****_**CHARACTER CARDS, STORY SYNOPSIS **AVAILABLE. SEE END NOTES. IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH FINDING THE LINK OR SEEING THE ART, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT ON TWITTER _**

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_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

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Chapter 25: Re-educating a Slayer VI: Missing Person

.•.

.•.

"Yes," Obanai mumbled his agreement, "At this point, your death would not be a good thing."

"…" _What?_ Giyuu, momentarily forgetting his discomfort in Mitsuri's presence, looked up at Obanai in surprise.

_Is that…really how it is…?_

_Do you really think that I should not die for what I did…?_

_xxx_

**N.B.:** One minute later…

.

**F**EELING A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE, OBANAI FROWNED while Mitsuri winked at him, and as the silence started to feel quite tense, as though Giyuu was waiting for him to say something more to confirm what Mitsuri had said, he scoffed.

"Psh, why are you looking at me like that? It's no big deal. I just didn't want our ranks to be reduced—" But as he caught sight of the displeased glare Mitsuri was sending him, he said nothing more, instead choosing to sit next to Giyuu, copying his cross-legged pose on the tatami mat.

In the added silence that followed, Mitsuri's gaze wandered to where she was clasping Giyuu's hands. Surprisingly, he had not pulled them out of her grip but that only made her worry more.

_Is he so troubled about everything that this does not bother him…?_

"It's just so unfair."

At that quiet mumble, Mitsuri looked up from their hands to Giyuu's face. He was still wearing the same expression, with the same blank look in his eyes and had she not known better, she would have thought that he had not spoken at all.

"Unfair…" he repeated.

"…" Giyuu was looking her dead in the eyes and her heart rate quickened with anticipation. Giyuu was actually speaking to her.

[[BADUM]]

"Ah." Not wanting to lose this rare opportunity to get him to talk, Mitsuri asked, "What is it that you think is unfair?"

"Tanjirou…" There was a momentary flicker of something incredibly painful in the depths of Giyuu's ocean blue eyes before it disappeared. "I remember when he first showed up before me. He was always so stubborn. He never knew when to give up and… even now, he's fighting...I just know he is—" he paused "—and it's not just tonight. It's been like this ever since he was taken away..."

"Why do you think so?" Mitsuri asked, briefly and gently squeezing his hands to offer a bit of motivation. She was happy that he was actually conversing with her, and she wanted to encourage him to continue.

"I can feel it."

"That…" Unsure of how to respond to this, she looked nervously at Obanai, who was sitting so quietly next to Giyuu that he might as well not be in the room, but as soon as their eyes met, he nodded and her heart skipped.

In the past month, the tragedy that had befallen them all with losing so many Corps members and losing to Muzan had brought all of them to their knees, but it had also brought them closer together, particularly her and Obanai.

After that night when he had told her of his feelings in the Dimensional Fortress, he had tried to run away from that confession by making himself as busy as possible and keeping their interactions short.

Unfortunately for him though, Kiriya had allowed the remaining Pillars to team up to search for Tanjirou, and Mitsuri had jumped at the opportunity to work with Obanai. Therefore, it was not too long ago, on one of the few occasions when they had met up to exchange information during the month, that they had honestly confessed their feelings of love to each other.

Or more like she had confessed and forced a proper confession out of him.

Mitsuri had been loving him with all her heart for so long that coupled with the near-death experiences in Muzan's Dimensional Fortress, her frustration over his covert glances of admiration and the feelings he was running away from had mounted to a pinnacle.

There was no way that she was going to let Obanai pretend as though he had not admitted to having loved her from the moment they had met.

Death had almost claimed them. Mitsuri wanted to know love and enjoy its fleeting sweetness before her departure from this world, unlike Obanai who wanted to depart from the world before he allowed himself to accept her love.

.

_"I cannot do this, Mitsuri. Not in this life…"_

_"To join your beautiful soul with an ugly, filthy one such as mine…would not be right."_

_._

Mitsuri could still remember the words he had said to her, but as she had refused to accept things as they were, she had insisted that she loved him regardless of the condition of his soul. Love was deep, everlasting, accepting and forgiving—if he refused to accept and forgive himself for a past that he had no control over, then she had enough love to help him learn to accept and forgive himself.

It was tough to get him to accept her love but now that she had, his love made her feel so much more confident in everything that she did.

Thus, in this moment where she was doubting her ability to help their friend, Obanai was silently telling her that he believed in her abilities.

It was amazing what love could do in the face of despair, and as Mitsuri looked back to Giyuu, she wished that he could feel at least a little of what she was now learning about.

Support.

Friendship.

True love.

"I believe you."

"...?" That whisper had Giyuu looking up at her with a surprised gasp.

_Kanroji-san…_

_She…_

_How?_

_Why does she believe me?_

Yes, in spite of divulging his thoughts on Tanjirou's situation to her, Giyuu had thought that Mitsuri would have doubted him and quickly dismissed what he had said. After all, Tanjirou had been missing for thirty-one nights—yes, he had been counting—and it was a stretch to suggest that he was alive, and of all things still fighting Muzan.

"I can't remember where I heard about this," Mitsuri told him, "…but it is said that people who are very close to one another can each feel the other's emotional struggle if it's profound enough."

"..." Her voice was so gentle that it lulled him, easing the persistent ache in his soul and Giyuu found himself amazed at how alike she was to her designation of being the Love Pillar.

When he was in her presence, he hated himself a little less for being unable to save Tanjirou.

"Kanroji-san—"

"No," Mitsuri interrupted, shaking her head. "Call me Mitsuri."

"..." Giyuu only blinked in response, his lips flattening further into the thin line they always were.

"Last names are too bland," Mitsuri went on, unbothered by Giyuu's lack of a response. "Sure, it's a respectful form of address, but I feel like it's for strangers and associates who don't intend to get closer to one another…"

"…" Giyuu could not understand what Mitsuri was getting at.

_Kanroji-san wants to get closer to me…?_

_She's pretty close already._ His palms felt as though they were starting to get sweaty in her grip._ Ah. I wish she would put a little distance between us._

_This is a bit…weird._

As he remained silent and unwilling to do as she asked, Mitsuri smiled. "You, me and Obanai… We've all known one another for a long time," she said, smiling in Obanai's direction briefly before looking back to him, "...but you always call me Kanroji-san, and have you ever even called Obanai by his name?"

In spite of his continued silence and dull gaze, Mitsuri maintained her eye contact with Giyuu. She was aware that the Water Pillar was not used to being the centre of attention, so his lack of a reaction did not discourage her.

He was as quiet as a burbling stream and most of the time his presence went unknown. In the past, his silence came off as arrogance but she had always known that that was not how he truly was.

In reality, he was a person who was very sensitive to everything that happened around him.

For this reason, his current pain really hurt her. The way she saw his situation, for someone like him who was barely able to verbalize his inner thoughts at any given time, to be suffering like he was without an outlet must be painful.

"..." Looking away from her, Giyuu tried to turn his attention to Obanai but with Mitsuri being persistent in holding on to his hands even while he was now subtly trying to pull away, ignoring her was a bit difficult.

"Are you really okay with this?" He asked Obanai whose expression was probably as unreadable as his.

[[Hiss]]

Kaburamaru hissed, bobbing his head and eyeing Giyuu as though verbalizing the Pillar's irritation.

_Yeah. He's definitely not okay with this._

Giyuu's gaze went from the snake to the silent man but when the Snake Pillar spoke, he found that Obanai was not irritated for the reason that he thought he would have been.

"I have a name, you know," Obanai grumbled. "Isn't it polite to refer to someone by name when you're speaking to them?"

"..." Giyuu's frown deepened.

_Ah. **That **is why he's mad? Because I did not use his name?_

_They're both the same…_

_Did the two of them just come here to bother me? _He thought, not realizing how true his assumption was.

"Obanai…" he said at last and the other scoffed before placing the tray with the food on the floor in front of him and turning fully in his direction.

"See? Saying my name in a casual manner wasn't **_that_** hard. It only took you a couple years," Obanai mumbled in his usual low voice. "And what do you mean by if I'm 'really okay with this'?"

To answer his question, Giyuu's gaze left Obanai's mismatched eyes to look to Mitsuri's hands that were clasping his.

"Hm." Obanai held out his hand to Mitsuri and Giyuu watched in shock as the Love Pillar happily lifted one of his hands and handed it to him.

"...?" To say that Giyuu was thoroughly confused when the usually confrontational Pillar took hold of his hand as though he was not bothered at all to be doing such, would be a gross understatement of his reaction.

_What?_

_Why…?_

For the man who would glare daggers at anyone who so much as glanced in Mitsuri's direction, Giyuu had no idea how to react. In his opinion, this was a rather odd and disturbing change that subconsciously set off his fight or flight response.

_Is this how Obanai reacts right before decapitating someone for touching Mitsuri?_

_Or had he killed me since the moment I made eye contact with her? And I'm now dreaming?_

"…" As though seeking the answers to these questions, Giyuu met Obanai's gaze but what he saw there surprised him.

There was no anger or budding frustration—only a simple expression of acceptance.

_Um…_

_Ok. I'm definitely dreaming._

_Dreaming…_

_Or crazy—_

"You're not dreaming, Giyuu," Obanai said, taking a wild guess at what the other was thinking. "And I'm not going to kill you."

"…?" Giyuu's thoughts were thrown into turmoil.

_Huh…?_

_Not dreaming?_

What exactly had happened to Obanai in the month that they had been searching almost the entire country for Tanjirou?

Was their loss of Tanjirou or his budding relationship with Mitsuri responsible for this change?

What was it that had taught him to become more open to the feelings of others?

"Now we're both holding your hands," Mitsuri said in a tone that made it seem as though this solution had cured all the ills in the world. "Does this make you feel better?"

"..." Giyuu had no idea of how to respond to this; human interaction and communication were two of the few skills he had never mastered.

Now he felt cornered by the couple.

"As you've seemed to have figured out, Mitsuri and I are dating," Obanai said without looking away from Giyuu. "But don't go asking me if I'm okay with her touching you as though I own her." He frowned. "Actually…well, I will pummel any freak who puts their hands on her and gets too close, but I'm realizing that I don't mind that it's you who's touching her. Oddly, I don't feel the urge to rip your arms off."

"But…" Giyuu said, with eyebrows quirking up the slightest bit in confusion, "I—"

"What's the matter?" Obanai asked, "Do you **_want _**me to rip your arms off for touching Mitsuri?"

"Well…" Giyuu seemed undecided.

"Giyuu. I want you to understand something," Obanai interrupted, "We're here to help you. I already told you that I don't want you to die. According to Mitsuri, ever since she found you on Mount Natagumo, she's been very worried about your mental health. And whatever troubles her, troubles me too." After a brief pause, he added, "I'm sorry for what I said today, it was very tasteless of me although I had said it with the best intentions. I had only known that Mitsuri had happened to find you while she was searching the Mountain for Tanjirou—I did not know of your circumstances or the reason for you being there."

"..." Not knowing where to look, Giyuu looked down at the hardwood floor.

With the tension that he felt, the sight of the light from the fireplace playing over the wooden planks, casting shadows of varying shapes and lengths as the silence between them grew, offered an odd sort of solace.

"..." Finally, he looked up and passed his gaze from Obanai to Mitsuri. He had hardly said more than a handful of words to either in all the years that he had known them, yet here they were trying to make him feel better when they too were without a doubt very troubled as well. "Thank you, Obanai...Mitsuri…"

"Yay!" Mitsuri let go of his hand, launched forward and hugged him. "You've **_finally _**said my name!"

"Ah...yes…." Giyuu tried to ignore it, but it was undeniable how he was beginning to feel a lot better to be in their presence.

And it was not only because it had been many years since someone had hugged him.

With Obanai holding his hand and Mitsuri's arms around him, the constant aching loneliness and regret that was tattooed into his soul was considerably eased.

Yes. He no longer speculated about the possibility; Obanai had changed a lot—they had **_all_** changed a lot in the past month—and Giyuu had never thought the day would come when the Snake Pillar would be holding his hand and not choking him to death while he was being hugged by Mitsuri.

And it was then that he realized why this made him feel good.

This was just like when all the Pillars had come together to train prior to their final fight with Muzan _[Manga Chapter 129-136 ]. _A time of uncertainty and crisis had given rise to the need to throw aside their differences and help one another to grow stronger on a deeper level than what the usual intermittent Pillar training exercises provided_[Manga Chapter 136**[1]**]. _

It was not that they had such a terrible sense of teamwork that an emotional connection felt so strange and vital. It was simply that usually, the Pillars were so focused on getting stronger and defeating as many demons as they could in their specific wards that they hardly met up like this for extended periods.

The life of a Pillar was a very lonely one. They existed only as a shield to protect the innocent, a tool to carve the way forward for the youth, and the vehicle that would preserve the passionate desire for mankind to live on.

Their existence was vital, lonely and temporary—and they wholly embraced that.

They who walked with death and darkness every day had no time for love, yet the love of the two before him was filling him with a strange, albeit tiny hope.

Obanai was a man who had hated the very essence of who he was so much that he had been blind to the feelings of others and had refused to allow himself to be loved by the girl he cared about for a long time _[Manga Chapter 188]._

The very fabric of him was a thoroughly embittered and haunted soul.

And no matter how many demons he defeated, no matter how strong he had become, the undefeated demons from his past pulled him further into his gloomy pit of desolate apathy.

But love had flourished in the midst of despair. In the midst of his torment, denial, reluctance and doubt.

This made Giyuu wonder. Was that some kind of message that fate was trying to bestow upon him?

Was he being told that in spite of what was happening to Tanjirou, that the day would come when love would conquer everything?

That the boundless love that the boy carried within his heart in spite of the tragedies he faced would be the thing to help him—and all of them—to regain what was lost?

That all he had to do was believe?

_xxx_

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Even the weakness I wanted to get rid of

Became a last chain not to let go of your hand

Cry for the future from the edge of darkness

**\- Kimetsu no Yaiba 'from the edge' Fiction Junction / LISA**

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

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**Chapter Bonus?: **Please see my twitter for the link to the:

\- **ART BONUSES! This chapter has **

_GUEST ART: GIYUU, MITSURI AND OBANAI SKETCH BY KETSALISTLI!_

_\- Arc banner_

_\- Lined Drawing by Ketsalistlis!_

_**(NOTE TO VIEWER: **Their clothes in the drawing will be different from what is stated in the chapter because I didn't give a description of what they were wearing in the first draft I gave to the artist. **NOTE TO ARTIST: **Sorry, Ketsalistlis, but I still love this birthday gift with my whole fujoshi heart and soul. Thank you for your hard work!**)**_

_\- Character Cards_

_\- Situation summary_

_\- How Kanroji found Giyuu_

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****CHAPTER BONUSES:**** I've redone how I show the bonuses to make it easier to find them all, from the first to the current chapter, so please see my Twitter for the link to the document with the art bonuses that couldn't fit here.

**To access:** It is the only link in my profile. When you click on that link you will see a stack of links. It is the first slot titled "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination). This will take you to a document titled "Ruination: The FFNET User's Guide to the Art Bonuses."

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**Next Chapter Title: ****Re-educating a Slayer VII: Hide and Seek**

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Trapped in the mire of hopelessness that Muzan had put the entire Corps into, Mitsuri and Obanai are determined to get the lone soul, Tomioka Giyuu, to look outside his self-made cage of despair and accept their help. They refuse to despair despite how obvious it is that Muzan has the upper hand. To them, they may have been beaten down, but they are determined to start the journey to healing.

As long as they continue to fight their way forward, fate will provide them with an outcome that will be the solution to all their troubles.

At least…this is what they hope for with all their hearts, but life does not always provide the outcome that is most desired.

**REMEMBER: **This is the part of the arc which focuses on the Slayer Headquarters with Giyuu / Mitsuri / Obanai and is what has been happening while Tanjirou is having a veryyyyy hard time :) The diversion is quite necessary to ensure that this story has some meat to it—with an actual plot. It will make the f**king even more "interesting". Trust me…

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**END NOTES SECTION- Where the Author discusses (makes fun of) their characters' actions from that chapter**

**NOTE: **Finally this double update is done! Took me so long to fix this according to the way I liked, not only because I lost a week due to not feeling well, but because emotional chapters that psychoanalyze characters and lead to character development are harder to write than they appear to be. Right now I just want to throw up some confetti to celebrate :c

**Hmm.**

**-1. ****a. **'Or more like she had confessed and forced a proper confession out of him.'

Author: Remember how I stated in the last chapter that Obanai had poured out his heart to Mitsuri in the Dimensional Fortress? Well, their relationship did not start there. Mitsuri was so shocked that she had not said anything at first but then got interrupted by the announcement that the last boss (Muzan) had fled the scene with Tanjirou. When Obanai realized that he won't be dying that night, he regretted his confession and pretended as though he had said nothing. Afterwards, he avoided Mitsuri at every moment he could but eventually she caught him, responded to his confession and insisted that they start dating. Poor guy xD

**-b** The quoted lyrics in the end song fit this chapter so well with how Giyuu feels about losing Tanjirou… Especially how he was dwelling on his weakness but then Mitsuri and Obanai helped him

**-c** I loveeeeeee Obanai x Mitsuri so much! Like, how adorable is this couple?!

**2 **Giyuu getting all the love and support he deserves in order to push off his persistent depression is my kink.

b. The 'missing person' this chapter's title is speaking of is Tanjirou

c. When Giyuu asked Obanai "_Are you really okay with this?_", he was basically pulling a "please control your woman" tactic lol but it failed xD

**-3 '**_For the man who would glare daggers at anyone who so much as glanced in Mitsuri's direction, this was a rather odd and disturbing change.'_

Author: Haha even Giyuu is wondering why Obanai is not trying to kill him when Mitsuri is touching him. One answer was shown in the chapter, by Obanai directly stating that he just doesn't want to, but an additional and more direct explanation for his behavior is because he is aware that Mitsuri is the type who loves, supports and is open with everyone. He knows that Mitsuri is in help-a-friend mode. He doesn't want to stop her from helping Giyuu because if Giyuu remains as he is, that would make her sad. He racked up a lot of boyfriend points from this move xD

For the Mitsuri in this story, whenever she talks to and reaches out to others, she's not consciously flirting, just being friendly and supportive—Obanai knows where Mitsuri's heart is. There's another reason why Obanai doesn't wreck Giyuu when Mitsuri touches him, related to when he told Giyuu that he doesn't feel the urge to hurt him for touching her, but that will be explained / shown later in the story.

-**4 **It has been shown in the manga how much like Tanjirou Mitsuri is, so I felt like the one who is most likely to take it upon themselves to reach out to Giyuu would be her.

**-5 **And, Mitsuri is the only one of the Pillars that is shown to somewhat understand Giyuu on some level. While the others were confused and even affronted by his vague, and seemingly aloof attitude, when Sanemi was about to attack him, she put herself in harm's way to protect him

I love Mitsuri. She protecc the quiet sad boi

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**REFERENCES / IMPORTANT FOOTNOTES**:

[1] _Manga Chapter 136 Giyuu stated that as part of Pillar Training, they train with each other_


	26. Re-educating a Slayer VII: Memory of Him

Notes:

Double update! Three day delay but I was doing lots of writing. Then my internet went down -.- I Need a clone ;p but I'm happy that I'm getting lots of writing done. I took a little vacation from work and am now spending my days writing / editing (although….that's what I always do anyways– write, write, write). My goal is to update two / three things every month on the 9th / 10th so that nothing gets left behind but this month I ended up updating four things in addition to working on future writing x_x... 🐺🐥

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Chapter Summary:

Trapped in the mire of hopelessness that Muzan had put the entire Corps into, Mitsuri and Obanai are determined to get the lone soul, Tomioka Giyuu, to look outside his self-made cage of despair and accept their help.

At least…not as yet.

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Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

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_"Memory of a conversation."_

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**_APPLICABLE WARNING TAGS FOR THIS CHAPTER:_**

**• SUICIDE MENTION**

**• ANGST**

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**_._****_  
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_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

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Chapter 26: Re-educating a Slayer VII: The Memory of Him

.•. 💚 .•.

**N.B.:** At Ubuyashiki Mansion, late evening…

•. 💚 .•.

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•. 💚 .•.

**_"I _** DON'T KNOW WHAT TO think," Giyuu admitted as Mitsuri pulled away from the hug she was giving him to retake her seat opposite.

And much to his chagrin, she also retook his hand.

"Ah…" Mitsuri's brow furrowed with concern as she felt his tension returning. It was as though as soon as Giyuu had the smallest semblance of peace return to his heart, it would fill with dread again.

_He's like a broken vessel, _she noted. _No matter how many times we fill him up, everything will leak out again…unless we get him to understand that living is worth it. _

"…" Mitsuri directed her concerned gaze to his face. "What is it, Giyuu?" She asked gently. "Why do you look so troubled?"

"We're here warm, comfortable and in the company of comrades while Tanjirou is in an unknown place," Giyuu said softly. "I don't even want to think about what he's had to deal with or what he's going through right now."

"Is that why you confined yourself to Natagumo Mountain with the intent to die?"

"..." At Obanai's straightforward question, Giyuu was silent for a moment before he nodded. "I looked everywhere that I thought he could be, but then I had a strong feeling that Muzan had him in a remote location. That was my last option—you know, considering that the Lower Moon six's base was there and that Muzan might think that we won't look there."

"Then it's a good thing Mitsuri found you when she did," Obanai replied. "You may be a Pillar, but no human is impervious to starvation and dehydration. You really would have been dead if only she had delayed a few days longer."

"I don't deserve to live," Giyuu countered.

"Why?"

The answer to this question was so obvious that Giyuu found himself staring at the Snake Pillar. Kaburamaru was the only one to respond by sticking out his long, slim tongue in a hiss, but it was clear that even the man's pet snake was in agreement with him.

"Why do I always have to outlive the ones I care about?" Giyuu asked, "The ones I long to protect…?"

"So that you can carry on their memory," Obanai said without pause.

This simple explanation made Giyuu halt instantly.

.

_"You can't die, ever. That life she lost to protect you? That future she left for you? They're still with you, Giyuu [Manga Chapter 131]."_

.

It felt as though, for a brief moment, he could see his friend Sabito in Obanai.

_What?_

_Even now, you're still trying to tell me to live on. _

_First, through Tanjirou, then through Obanai._

_But Sabito…_

_Would you still say the same thing if you see me today? _Giyuu felt a wave of sadness overcome him. _I keep failing in no matter what I try and how hard I train. _

_I still can't protect what's important to me._

_Will Tsutako-nee san be happy knowing that she lost her life and her future for a brother who can't even hold on to what's important to him?_

"Are you ready to talk to us now?" Obanai pressed, but as Giyuu only responded to this by turning away from him, he added, "Talking about why you feel like you do might actually help."

"I doubt it."

"Try it."

"…" Seeing that Obanai was not going to give up, Giyuu sighed. "When Sabito, my friend and teammate from the selection exam died in my place," he explained, "I never once felt as though I was deserving of life. Over and over again, why does this keep happening? Why does death keep choosing the person next to me? Why should I live while others die and suffer either for my sake, or because of my incompetence? First my sister, then Sabito. This position as Water Pillar…Sabito would have been perfect at it. Tanjirou helped me to understand my responsibility to holding this title, but now that he's gone, I feel as though my old feelings of doubt are returning."

"You're haunted by so much in the past," Mitsuri said gently.

"Yes," Giyuu replied.

And as he spoke, telling them of his past and of all that had happened, Obanai nodded intermittently during his confession. He wanted Giyuu to tell him this himself and did not say that Mitsuri had already told him the story.

She had learned the full details of Giyuu's past while she had carried him back from Natagumo Mountain. He had been in and out of a delirious state of consciousness from an extended lack of food and water and after losing to her when his attempt to kill himself had been thwarted, he had confessed everything about his fears and feelings over the years.

The fact that he was now telling him this and without the influence of coercion or delirium driving his words was a sign that Giyuu was slowly learning to depend on others.

Obanai smiled as he felt the connection growing between them. Bit by bit, Giyuu was learning to open up to what he was feeling. This was just like with him and Mitsuri, when the Love Pillar had taught him over the years how to smile genuinely, he was now able to help someone to heal too.

"So now you blame yourself for causing Tanjirou's downfall," Obanai said when Giyuu was finished speaking.

"I had been there with him that night—"

"It's not your fault," Obanai interrupted in a firm tone. "Muzan had the help of that Biwa user we killed. Do you think that the outcome would have been different if I or Mitsuri or any of the other Pillars had been the one who was paired with Tanjirou instead of you?"

"No…" Giyuu mumbled. What the Snake Pillar said was such a simple counter to his doubt that he was momentarily silenced.

"Then don't blame yourself," Obanai cautioned. "Self-loathing does nothing other than hamper your progress to win against what is weighing you down."

"..." This resonated so well with Giyuu that he felt the faint tendrils of the connection that was growing between himself and Obanai strengthen further.

.

_"Then don't blame yourself."_

.

That sounded so much like what one of the three special people in his life would have said to him.

_Tsutako nee-san, Sabito, Tanjirou…_

_I'm being Immature again, aren't I?_

_But…_

_No matter how hard I think about it, I can't seem to figure a way out of this._

_Why does it feel like there's so much more to this situation than what I'm seeing? _

_Every time I think back on that night and try to come up with a clue, I can't forget the guilt I feel for losing Tanjirou._

_I can't forget the way Muzan was smiling so triumphantly. And how—_

"Giyuu?"

That voice snapped him out of his thoughts and forced the pensive Water Pillar to focus on the hardened, mismatched gaze that was observing him.

Those eyes, though stern, made him freeze with the subtle yet profound emotion conveyed to him from within their depths. This was not simply a man who had suffered a lot and made it through, but one who wanted to genuinely use his experience to help him.

Giyuu had never thought that Iguro Obanai was such a person.

They had been at odds many times over the years, and while Giyuu had long been familiar with the Snake Pillar's past from an indirect version that he had heard from the late Ubuyashiki Kaguya, he had never had the desire to befriend him.

In spite of this, the then Ubuyashiki Head had always been troubled by Giyuu's social withdrawal and Obanai's general attitude toward life, so he had on several occasions tried to get both boys to get close to each other, but many years passed without success and his efforts remained futile.

Giyuu had been down to his lowest point in life more times than he cared to count.

.

_"I don't want to remember. My tears just wouldn't stop. Whenever I did remember, I got so sad I couldn't do anything [Manga Chapter 131]."_

_._

His heart grieved, ached and burned in remembrance of the dead with each breath that he took.

He was so broken inside that he had become a plain shell on the outside.

And Obanai, like the rest of the Pillars, had had more than his fair share of a terrible past, guilt, self-hate and self-loathing. And like Giyuu, he looked death in its face every day, hoping that when he was finally reborn, he would receive a lot in life that would be much different to the one he had been cast into _[Manga Chapter 188]._

But that was where their similarities ended and neither wanted much to do with the other. For them, their relationship began and ended as colleagues sharing a similar goal—destroy all demons.

How ironic was it, that what it would take to push them together was the disappearance of someone familiar to them and Mitsuri's determination in wanting them to speak to each other?

"But…" Slowly, Giyuu felt himself becoming more comfortable with the prospect of opening up to the two with him, and as this was such a foreign concept, his voice lowered further, "...I was the one who revealed the way for Tanjirou to become a Slayer. If I had not—"

"If you had not done that," Mitsuri said, "Tanjirou would not have become a Slayer. He would have never been captured by Muzan. But, did you ever think of what would have happened to his sister?"

"Let's say you two had never met," she went on as Giyuu watched her with a furrowed brow. "Would Nezuko be human now? Would Tanjirou be alive now if you had not intervened and shocked Nezuko into wanting to protect Tanjirou that day? And if Tanjirou had not been captured by Muzan, would Nezuko be safe with us right now? Would we even be **_alive_**?"

"Muzan…" Obanai hissed while Kaburamaru bobbed his head as though feeling his master's tension. "That bastard did what none of us anticipated. We were so focused on carrying out our elaborate plan to defeat him, and with protecting Nezuko, that we did not think that he would go after Tanjirou."

"Engaging in an all-out brawl against us without having the prize of knowing Nezuko's location at the end of it would have been a fool's goal. Our goal was to destroy Muzan and his ranks, but if Muzan had destroyed us that night, he still would not have gotten Nezuko. Surely, Muzan must have realized this and changed his strategy on the spot. It was so obvious. Tanjirou and Nezuko are siblings. Naturally, Muzan would kidnap the other when he could not get the first, yet we did not contemplate the possibility." Obanai scowled as though silently cursing himself. "So if you want to blame yourself, doesn't that mean that we should **_all _**be blaming ourselves? We basically brought Tanjirou to him. We all fell for Muzan's trap and we paid the price."

"Yeah…" Giyuu frowned deeply.

"But you know what?" Obanai prompted, "We can continue to wallow in depression and lick our wounds while Muzan continues to advance leagues ahead of us, or, we can peel ourselves off the floor and push forward—for the sake of humanity and for Tanjirou."

"…" The frown Giyuu was wearing slowly slipped from his face. He was not feeling miraculously better from Obanai's words, but he had to admit that the Snake Pillar was right.

"Also," Mitsuri interjected and as Giyuu's gaze met hers, she went on, "We have another Pillar meeting later tonight."

"Another one?"

"If you had come to dinner, you would have known," Obanai jabbed, but then added, "Kiriya-sama said that he had to think things over and would make his official announcement about our next move at that meeting."

"Oh." Giyuu blinked, feeling the tiniest bit of hope return to him. All was not lost. Maybe after Kiriya thought things over, by taking all the evidence they had gathered during their month-long search into consideration, the idea that their hunt for Tanjirou needed to become a quest to kill him might change.

"You're looking a lot better now," Obanai said. "I guess you understand now..." Releasing his hand, he picked up the food tray that was next to him and deposited it in the Water Pillar's lap. "So… hurry up and start eating. I will not take 'no' for an answer. If you refuse to eat and try to starve yourself to death, I'll personally beat you to death before you could die at your own hands—even if that would make Mitsuri sad."

"Don't listen to him," Mitsuri said gently, whilst reaching forward to pat Giyuu's shoulder. "He doesn't look like it, but Obanai really cares. When Sanemi told us that you had not checked in with him in all of the time you both had been partnered, Obanai and I had promised to keep an eye out for you. Everyone cares about you; it just so happened that I was the one who was fortunate enough to find you before it was too late."

"It's no big deal," Obanai grumbled as Giyuu looked to him with his soulless blue eyes. He was never more grateful for his face cloth that hid most of his blush. "Just when I had thought things couldn't get worse, we lost Shinobu and Tokito. After Kyojuro died and Tengen left, our ranks could not suffer any more losses, so losing you too would have been way too much."

"Mmhm…you sure that's the **_only_** reason why you don't want him to die?" Mitsuri asked in a singsong voice, but as Obanai looked at her with a small hidden frown, she said in a serious tone, "Why don't you just tell Giyuu how you feel?"

"…" Obanai's unusual gaze went back to Giyuu. He had to admit that Mitsuri was right and his agreement with her point of view was not simply because he loved her. This was just the way she always was; trying to help heal the hearts of others to the best of her ability. Mitsuri was full of genuine effort and love and her authenticity was so contagious that Obanai believed that if she was prepared to do her best, then he had no other choice than to give this his all too.

"Tell me, Giyuu," he started whilst giving the one in question a somber look. "Why are you mourning as though Tanjirou's dead?"

"You act as though you believe so strongly that he's alive, but then you go ahead and try to kill yourself before a solution is found. Does that make any sense?"

Giyuu's thoughts went back to the night in the Fortress.

.

_'I will protect. I will protect Tanjirou. Just as he would have done for me [Manga Chapter 154]._'

_._

"I promised to protect Tanjirou as he would have done for me. A swordsman is bound by his word," Giyuu said quietly. "I broke my promise and that's unforgivable."

"Then protect him," Obanai said. "Protect the memory of him by living on. You need to eat and make your body strong again. Become capable of fighting again. If you believe so strongly in your own words, then you shouldn't die—you should live." Obanai clenched his fist. "Live and search this country until you find Tanjirou. And if you're so convinced that you are to blame for his current suffering, then you should also stay alive so you could make it up to him one day."

With all that Obanai said to him, Giyuu stared at the Snake Pillar with a slightly open-mouthed expression that was wholly composed of his surprise.

And without waiting for Giyuu to come up with a response, Mitsuri took hold of his hand by its wrist, picked up the wooden spoon from the food tray and put it against his palm.

"..." Giyuu frowned as her fingers forced his to close around the spoon's handle. He did not want to eat, but knew that the odds would not be in his favour if he were to decide to object to both Pillars' attempts.

For the past week while he was bedridden at the Ubuyashiki mansion, Mitsuri had visited him three times per day, making sure to feed him nutritious soups and soft foods for each meal in order for him to rebuild his strength.

And her care was working, as evidenced by the fact that he had regained most of his weight, how he was now able to walk again and how he had even been able to attend the Pillar meeting they had had earlier that day.

Mitsuri was determined to see him recover fully, and during each visit, she would often try to talk him out of his sour mood but he would always ignore her.

However, this time she had brought Obanai along with her and together they had whittled away at his doubts and firm resolution.

Giyuu felt bare. He felt confused.

_What should I do…?_

They had removed his reason for wanting to die and bit by bit, Giyuu was finding that there was only one choice left for him to make—to live.

_._

_xxx_

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Even the weakness I wanted to get rid of

Became a last chain not to let go of your hand

Cry for the future from the edge of darkness

**\- Kimetsu no Yaiba 'from the edge' Fiction Junction / LISA**

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

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****CHAPTER BONUSES:**** I've redone how I show the bonuses to make it easier to find them all, from the first to the current chapter, so please see my Twitter for the link to the document with the art bonuses that couldn't fit here.

**To access:** It is the only link in my profile. When you click on that link you will see a stack of links. It is the first slot titled "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination). This will take you to a document titled "Ruination: The FFNET User's Guide to the Art Bonuses."

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**Next Chapter Title: ****Re-educating a Slayer VIII: **Hide-and-Seek

**Next Chapter Teaser: **Mitsuri and Obanai continue their meeting with Giyuu, making it clear to him that they refuse to despair despite how obvious it is that Muzan has the upper hand. To them, they may have been beaten down, but they are determined to start the journey to healing.

As long as they continue to fight their way forward, fate will provide them with an outcome that will be the solution to all their troubles.

At least…this is what they hope for with all their hearts, even though they are aware that life does not always provide the outcome that is most desired.

**REMEMBER: **This part of the arc focuses on the Slayer Headquarters to show Giyuu / Mitsuri / Obanai's P.O.V on the situation. The things that happen in this mini arc will tie into the future events of Tanjirou's fate with Muzan and the Slayer Corps, so pay attention…

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**NOTE ON UPDATES:** Another tedious month of writing but I added about another 40K words to the outline for this story in addition to doing writing and editing work for this chapter ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so because of all my prep work, updates can continue to be bimonthly (I will combine two chapter updates into one update) while I continue to write for this story's future outline at the same time! Updates are on the 9th / 10th of each month.

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****END NOTES SECTION****

**Hmm.**

******* This End Notes Section has been courteously brought to you by a cold soba eating contest and that time when Giyuu was wondering what the fuck kind of pills Mitsuri is on (can I have some – both the pills and the soba?)

(see Twitter for image)

**-1 **"_Would Tanjirou be alive now if you had not intervened and shocked Nezuko into wanting to protect Tanjirou that day?"_

**Author**: I'm assuming that Mitsuri knows the full details of what happened on that day when Giyuu met Tanjirou from the full report Giyuu would have given at the Pillar meeting in Manga Chapter 45-47 after Tanjirou was taken to Shinobu's Mansion.

**b. "_…_**_And if Tanjirou had not been captured by Muzan, would Nezuko be safe with us right now? Would we even be **alive**?" _

**Author**: NOPE.

**c. **_"Kiriya-sama said that he had to think things over and would make his official announcement about our next move at that meeting."_

**Author: **Tanji-kun might actually be spared the axe of death…maybe.

**-2 _'_**_However, this time she had brought Obanai along with her and together they had whittled away at his doubts and firm resolution.'_

**Author**: Yes, her boyfriend is here, so be nice, Giyuu.

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Thanks for the support everyone! Stay safe, see you soon and thank you for reading!


	27. Re-educating a Slayer VIII:Hide-and-Seek

Notes:

I hope that you like this continuation. The manga has stated that Mitsuri and Tanjirou are both the same kind of people, so I've always felt that if there was anyone who would have the determination to reach out to Giyuu and succeed, it would be Mitsuri (and of course, Mitsuri would pull Obanai along to help).

**After this chapter, we'll be moving back to Muzan's mansion to see what's left of Tanjirou T_T

... 🐺🐥

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Chapter Summary:

Mitsuri and Obanai continue their meeting with Giyuu, making it clear to him that they refuse to despair despite how obvious it is that Muzan has the upper hand. To them, they may have been beaten down, but they are determined to start the journey to healing.

As long as they continue to fight their way forward, fate will provide them with an outcome that will be the solution to all their troubles.

At least…this is what they hope for with all their hearts, even though they are aware that life does not always provide the outcome that is most desired.

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Content Dictionary

_Thoughts _

xxx: End of a section

[[Sound]]

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_"Memory of a conversation."_

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**_._**

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**_APPLICABLE WARNING TAGS FOR THIS CHAPTER:_**

**• SUICIDE MENTION**

**• ANGST**

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**_CHAPTER BONUS? YES! _****_**CHARACTER CARD **AVAILABLE. SEE END NOTES. IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH FINDING THE LINK OR SEEING THE ART, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT ON TWITTER _**

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_The sound of lightning pierces my ears_

_My heart wavers_

**_\- Gurenge by LISA lyrics (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OP)_**

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Chapter 27: Re-educating a Slayer VIII: Hide-and-Seek

.•.

.•.💗.•.

**N.B.:** At Ubuyashiki Mansion, late evening…

.•. 💗.•.

.•.

.•. 💗.•.

**_H_**_OW UNFORTUNATE… I WAS SURE that my mind was made up. I did not want to live anymore, but now I'm so confused, _Giyuu thought whilst frowning. With the both of them there, he was aware that there was no way he could be stubborn and fight Mitsuri as he usually did without earning a fist to his face from Obanai.

With a heavy sigh when Mitsuri released his hand, he uncovered the dish on the tray and dipped the spoon into the broth.

As he stirred the contents, the mouth-watering scent of a perfectly simmered milieu of vegetables and poultry set within the shimmering broth rose to his nostrils.

That smell brought a tear to his eyes.

It smelled like home—a home that he had long tried to forget due to how painful remembering was.

It smelled and looked like an exact copy of the dish his sister used to make for him as often as he asked for it—and he used to ask her to make it almost as often as his favorite salmon and radish dish.

How did Mitsuri know that this was just what he needed?

A lucky guess?

Or was she that good at reading the needs of others' souls?

_Zosui_, he thought, looking down at the thick, rich rice soup. It was a dish usually served to sick people, but his sister Tsutako did not mind making it for him even when he was in full health.

.

_"This soup is full of good stuff, Giyuu-kun. It will make you grow tall and strong. Promise me you will eat it all, okay?"_

_._

Remembering broke his heart. It hurt down to the depths of his soul, but as his memories continued to bombard him, Giyuu could feel the constant pain in his chest—the one that had followed him ever since Tsutako had died, slowly easing away.

At first he panicked, thinking that he was beginning to forget his rage and guilt over the way she had died, but then he recognized it for what it was.

Could it be that he was slowly starting to heal?

That after nearly a decade and a half of suffering, all he needed was something like this—genuine kindness from a comrade—to force him to face the present with memories of the past?

Oddly overcome by a rare bout of emotion, Giyuu tried to not shed a tear. He was sure that this was not what had been served at dinner for the other Pillars.

Mitsuri loved to cook _[Ref. Manga Chapter 132]_, and had gone out of her way to make this just for him.

All of the vegetables, herbs and poultry…everything, had been prepared with much care.

"It looks good," he mumbled, hiding his expression by continuing to look down into the large ceramic bowl.

His hand brushed its painted side. It was still very warm.

"And it's good for you!" Mitsuri cheered, clapping both hands together. "I put lots of healthy rice in it with mushrooms, carrots, chicken thighs, and shiitake mushrooms! I even got fresh chives from the garden and two eggs from the chickens!"

"..." Giyuu paused in bringing the spoon to his lips when he looked up to see that both Obanai and Mitsuri were watching him intently.

"Um...are you going to stay here and watch me eat?"

"We ate with everyone already," Obanai said. "You're the only one who wasn't there."

"Yeah." _But do you **have to watch **me… _Giyuu did not state his thoughts, instead moving to bring the spoon the rest of the way to his mouth.

He chewed slowly while ignoring their gazes, and before he knew it, one spoonful followed another until he was lowering his spoon to an empty bowl.

"You ate it all!" Mitsuri said happily, clapping her hands in a manner suitable to one who had just gotten a toddler to eat.

Giyuu did not mind her enthusiasm though. Not for the reason that he was apathetic, but because he was starting to get used to her.

She was just as excitable and friendly as Tanjirou.

"Thanks for the meal," Giyuu muttered and when she took the tray from him but did not leave, he looked up at the two Pillars that were still in his room.

_Ah. _

_What is it now…?_

As grateful as he was for their help, he wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

However, it was clear that they were both determined to not leave him alone in his grief until they were sure that he would be okay.

After all, he had not given them any reason to believe that he would not try to kill himself as soon as they turned their backs.

The evidence clung to him like a pungent perfume. Not only had he once pledged before all the Pillars to commit seppuku if Nezuko were to harm a human, he had been starving himself to death while looking for Tanjirou in the Natagumo Mountains—the place he had eventually decided to be his final resting place.

Then, when Mitsuri had found him there, he had tried to carry out his act of committing seppuku right in front of her before she could stop him and had it not been for her strength and speed, he would have succeeded.

So although the ones watching over him said nothing, he knew that they considered him a risk.

Following his retrieval and return to the Ubuyashi estate, Giyuu had woken up to find that his sword had been taken away, he was being kept in a room without a lock, and when he was not sleeping, it was either Mitsuri, Kuina, Kanata, or Kiriya checking in on him.

They refused to let him atone for the sin that he believed he had committed, and were all on the lookout to ensure that he would not try anything rash.

All of this had Giyuu thinking that the gods were not ready for his soul to be free.

_There must be something more that I'm meant to do in this life._

He sighed.

_Can't rest._

_Sorry Tsutako nee-san, Sabito…seems like we won't be meeting up any time soon._

"How is Nezuko doing?" Giyuu finally muttered as the room remained silent except for the sound of the fire crackling. If they were not going to leave, he might as well talk to them. "Has she woken up yet?"

"I checked on her before dinner," Mitsuri informed him. "She's still sleeping and Zenitsu's with her."

"How long has it been since she's fallen into that coma?" Giyuu asked. "That's a little more than strange for her to sleep that long as a human. Aren't you worried?"

"No." Mitsuri shook her head as she looked at him. "If Yushirō wasn't looking after her, I would have been," she admitted. "But with him here, I know she's in good hands."

"Hm." Giyuu nodded, recalling how Yushirō had arrived with Lady Tamayo after being summoned to the Ubuyashiki estate by Kaguya _[Manga Chapter 131_]

After helping with their last battle against Muzan, he had stayed back to help in any way that he could as Muzan had not yet been defeated.

"To think that Nezuko would faint after hearing about Tanjirou being kidnapped," Obanai murmured. "I wonder why it was that she had suddenly started running to where he was_[Manga Chapter 185]_? Could it be that she had sensed what Muzan had been attempting with Tanjirou?"

"Probably," Mitsuri agreed. "I'm guessing that she wanted to save Tanjirou by telling us what Muzan was planning but in the end it was too late to do anything by the time she got there. Muzan had already taken him."

"She isn't turning back into a demon, right?" Giyuu asked. "Like I said, it's not normal for someone to be asleep for thirty-one days."

"I think she's just in shock—" Obanai stated "—both from the change of going back to being a human, and the exhaustion of running all that way, plus the news of Tanjirou's capture."

"That poor girl…" Mitsuri looked to Giyuu with a serious expression. "This is not the best time to say this," she ventured, cautiously analyzing his blank features, "...but while we're on the topic of Tanjirou, I feel like you should know that the last of the scouts I sent out returned this afternoon right before dinner. There's—"

"Still no sign of Tanjirou," Giyuu finished in his flat tone. "I know. If that was not the case, it would have been the first thing you would have told me when you and Obanai came here."

"Yeah." Mitsuri nodded. "While everyone else was focusing solely on gathering clues to find out where Tanjirou was being kept, I had been doing a different kind of search for clues based on a hunch I had. I've been focusing on finding out more details about the human alias Muzan had been using," she explained. "Many months ago, Tanjirou submitted a written report from the time when he had met Muzan. At that time, the demon had a wife and child. Luckily, Tanjirou had not only named, but described the wife and child in his report and I figured that if I could find out who Muzan's alias was based on the evidence we had, then I could find out things about him like his assets and track down where he was keeping him."

"And what happened?" Giyuu pressed, intrigued by Mitsuri's take on the whole situation. To look for Tanjirou by looking for Muzan's alias was actually a good plan. How did that fail too?

"Muzan was prepared for us from that angle too," Mitsuri replied. "Seems that he had put a **_lot _**of thought into this plan to kidnap Tanjirou, and more effort than we'd initially thought. It wasn't just a grab and run. He anticipated that we would have looked into his sham of a marriage."

"He killed them—"

"No." Mitsuri placed a hand over the tightly clenching fist on Giyuu's thigh, smiling lightly when that gesture relaxed him. "It's rather shocking, but they're still alive."

"What…"

"Yeah, I was surprised too," Mitsuri said in response to the confusion in his gaze. "When dealing with someone as cautious as Muzan, this could be viewed as a major faux pas on his part that can benefit us." She frowned. "I want to take advantage of this as soon as possible and to that end, luckily we have received the information of where his wife, Rei-san and her daughter are living."

_That's impressive… _Giyuu thought as he listened to her_, this plan of hers may have failed now, but it might actually work out soon._

"So far," Mitsuri went on, "…the area has been scouted and they've been clandestinely approached, but like I stated, Muzan anticipated that we would have done this. They both have no memory of Muzan initiating any kind of mind control on them. As much as they are aware of, the 'kind', 'loving' and 'honest' husband has no connection whatsoever to Kibutsuji and the name, Muzan Kibutsuji held bad memories of the fracas that had taken place in Asakusa. Had it not been for Kiriya-sama acquiring a fake government official pass for my scout to approach them, I am sure that Rei-san would have chased him out."

"Muzan's human name while he was with that family was Tsukihiko," she added. "All my investigations were able to find out was that on paper, he left to go on a business trip for the Americas but has not returned. The paperwork showing that he left is legit and it's like he is mocking us—the documents state that his date of departure from Japan was exactly thirty-one nights ago."

"…" The pervading gloom surrounding Giyuu settled deeper into his bones as his eyes narrowed. "That would make his 'departure' the same date as the night he challenged the Ubuyashiki family," he mumbled.

"Precisely," Mitsuri said with a curt nod. "I don't think that he expects that we're stupid enough to believe that he's left Japan, so I theorize that it's a clue of some sort. Could Muzan be telling us that he wants us to consider him 'gone' and to leave him alone?"

"Like hell we would," Obanai grumbled. "He's taken one of us. Does he actually think that we would let him keep Tanjirou?"

"…" Giyuu glanced to Obanai and nodded in agreement with his statement. _There's no way we could leave Tanjirou with him._ He looked back to Mitsuri. "Will your scout be returning to keep an eye on Rei-san and the girl?" He knew that it was hopeless, but he still had faith that something—regardless of how small—might be acquired if they kept an eye on Muzan's 'family'.

"Yes. Murata is a dedicated member of the Corps and won't give up."

"Murata's your Scout?" Giyuu asked, appearing to be a bit surprised.

"Oh yes, you two were in the Final Selection together, right _[Ref. __Manga Chapter 185]__?"_ Mitsuri asked and as Giyuu nodded she went on, "Murata did so well in the Hashira Training camp that his rank went up to Kinoe and after the attack on the Dimensional Fortress, I asked him if he wanted to be a Demon Slayer Scout."

"Sounds like he's doing well," Giyuu said. "He used to be insecure about his abilities and position in the Slayer Corps _[Ref. __Manga Chapter 185]_."

_Just like me…_

"Well, so far Murata's been doing some really good work and I have a lot of faith in him. He won't stop tailing Rei-san and her daughter until we get some kind of concrete evidence about Muzan's whereabouts."

Mitsuri's curt nod made her multi-coloured hair bounce as it caught the light from the fireplace, but the look in her pale eyes remained serious. "And the interesting thing is that apparently, this human family is used to 'Tsukihiko', aka Muzan, travelling a lot for business and they see it as no coincidence that he left without giving them a specific address."

"So he left everything behind," Giyuu mumbled, "…to disappear with Tanjirou…"

"Yes. He's playing a sick and twisted game of hide-and-seek with us," Mitsuri said in a somber tone, but then her hand over Giyuu's clenched fist tensed. "But that demon bastard has got another thing coming if he thinks that we'd give up on finding Tanjirou so easily."

"This war is far from over," Obanai added, "…and when it is, he would be the one losing."

"…" Giyuu said nothing, other than to turn his gaze to the window at his right, through which the wind bellowed loudly.

[[WHOOSH]]

A storm was brewing; so lively and vile that it almost put out their little fire in the hearth.

[[SWISH]]

The curtains fluttered briskly, ends slapping at the empty air of their room.

"Oh my…this is rather sudden…" Mitsuri mumbled, getting up abruptly to go over to the window.

After securing it, she returned to sit with the two Pillars who were watching her. The wholly concerned look on her face said it all. Even she had sensed the mounting disparity in the air—something about that night did not feel right at all.

The unnaturally inclement weather was a strong sign that a great evil was lurking in the shadows and its strength chilled them to the bone.

Darkness.

Struggle.

Domination.

It was as though a battle between two great forces was taking place somewhere out of their reach—a battle so intense that nature itself was in an uproar.

Giyuu remained silent as Mitsuri and Obanai both exchanged a knowing look then turned to him but he did not acknowledge them, not because he was at a loss for words due to the difficulty of their search or that he was losing faith again. It was the opposite: he was completely sure of what his new goal was.

In spite of all that his preternatural senses were screaming at him about the present state of things, he was going to keep moving forward.

To get a solid lead on where Tanjirou was being kept, he would have to do things differently.

Time was running out. And that meant that he could not do things alone anymore. If he is to be successful in his hunt to bring Tanjirou back from the clutches of his tormentor, he would have to work with everyone else and keep moving forward, regardless of the price he had to pay…even if the price required was his own life.

_xxx_

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_Cut away the despair  
Even with all I've lost, even with all I've lost  
I have no choice but to keep living  
Even if I am beaten down  
There are things to protect_

**_— Kamado Tanjirō no Uta (Tanjirō Kamado's Song)_**

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Search for brownsugarprod1 to view My group's TWITTER !

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**Chapter Bonus?: **Please see my twitter for the link to the:

_\- Character Card  
_

_\- Chapter meme_

_\- mini arc end image_

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**The bonuses are always on Privatter (unless they're excessively NSFW. Then they'll be on Gumroad).** Remember, if you want to see a history of all the posted media, you can click on the "Media" tab in My group's twitter or go to the link in the header and then click the tab that says "ART (Muzan x Tanjirou art and End Notes for Ruination). It's the third tab after you click the link. All the uploads are there.

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**Next Chapter Title: Re-educating a Slayer IX: ******Pleasure, Pain and Punishment****

**Next Chapter Teaser: **While the Demon Slayer Pillars struggle to hold on to their hope for his safety, Tanjirou continues to experience his own struggles with fighting Muzan, but it is obvious that he is beginning to lose his foothold.

Is this the end for him, or will there be much more that he has to endure…?

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**NEXT UPDATE: ****Updates are ****in the week of the 9th / 10th of each month **(do NOTE that updates can be a day or a few days later than stated if irl circumstances do not allow for a timely completion of my edits / writing or any art I may do)**.**

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**END NOTES SECTION**

**Hmm.**

Author: This End Note Section is brought to you by Sanemi wondering why everyone is always shielding Giyuu from him…

(see link on Twitter for the image that couldnt go here)

-1 _'__"I put lots of healthy rice in it with mushrooms, carrots, chicken thighs, and shiitake mushrooms! I even got fresh chives from the garden and two eggs from the chickens!"_'

**Author: **I'm so jealous of Giyuu lol. I want someone like Mitsuri to cook for me when I'm feeling like shit yet he's out here starting fights at each mealtime hahaha (good thing he finally came to appreciate her efforts in this chapter). Btw I made Zosui when I was writing this and damnnn I found it to be quite gooood. It has quickly become one of my faves :3

**a. '**_Mitsuri loved to cook__[Ref. Manga Chapter 132]__, and had gone out of her way to make this just for him.'_

**Author: **Kind, sweet, perceptive, genuine (and can kick ass)…. that's some good wife material right there (too bad she already belongs to Obanai...or does she? Hehe sorry I'm just being mischievous...ignore me...or should you...?)!

**b. **'_They refused to let him atone for the sin that he felt he had committed, and were all on the lookout to ensure that he would not try anything rash._

_All of this had Giyuu thinking that the gods were not ready for his soul to be free.'_

**Author:** In some cultures, it is believed that the human soul resides in the stomach, so when Giyuu thought to himself that 'the gods were not ready for his soul to be free', he was referring to this idea since the act of seppuku cuts open the stomach and by being prevented from committing seppuku, his soul remains 'trapped' in its mortal body.

One can even say that Mitsuri fed his soul if you consider that if the soul is in the stomach and Zosui is given to sick people, then his broken soul is being healed. Haha just an interpretation that crossed my mind while editing…

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-2 So…it's been revealed that Nezuko has become human, but is currently in a coma T_T

**a. **_"__"I'm guessing that she wanted to save Tanjirou by telling us what Muzan was planning but in the end it was too late to do anything by the time she got there. Muzan had already taken him."_

**Author**: In this story, the reason Nezuko was running to Tanjirou was to save him from Muzan's kidnap attempt. After her father visited her in her dreams, prompting her to wake up and 'save' Tanjirou, she figured that he would now be Muzan's target and was running to warn the Slayers. But as she reached late, Muzan's plot succeeded and she fainted in a state of grave despair.

**.**

-3 And Muzan's human family is alive? Muzan left it all behind, just as Giyuu said, just so he could disappear with Tanjirou :o

**a. "…**_I figured that if I could find out who Muzan's alias was based on the evidence we had, then I could find out things about him like his assets and track down where he was keeping him."_

**Author: **Nice try, Mitsuri, but alas Muzan is no fool ;p

**b. **_'__the name, Muzan Kibutsuji held bad memories of the fracas that had taken place in Asakusa__ '_

**Author:** It held 'bad memories' for them as they remembered Tanjirou shouting that name, talking about slicing off Tsukihiko's head, and then the wild demon guy running rampant in the streets

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-4 "…I asked him if he wanted to be a Demon Slayer Scout."

**Author: **In this story, I have it that there are Slayer Scouts—a highly selective position for competent Slayers.

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-5 _"So he left everything behind," Giyuu mumbled, "…to disappear with Tanjirou…"_

**Author: **Muzan is like 'wife'? what wife?

**a. _"_**_He's playing a sick and twisted game of hide-and-seek with us…__But that demon bastard has got another thing coming if he thinks that we'd give up on finding Tanjirou so easily."_

**Author: **Then let's see who wins this game~~

-6 '_He could not do things alone anymore.'_

**Author: **Yay, so Giyuu, in the last chapter, learned that he had no choice but to live on, and in this one, he's figured out that he would have to work alongside the others to find Tanjirou!

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-7 The lyrics in the song excerpt at the end of chapter 24 take on a new spin for this chapter so I put them back at the end here. Giyuu is learning that even when he is repeatedly "beaten down", "there are things to protect", like Obanai told him that he has a responsibility to live on and protect Tanjirou's memory and to one day make it up to him if he thinks that he is responsible for his capture. Ironically, while Tanji-kun is being re-educated by Muzan, Giyuu is being re-educated by Obanai and Mitsuri xD This really is the 'Re-educating a Slayer' arc ;p

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-8 Oh and I found it so cool when I saw this in Manga Chapter 97.5:

(see twitter link for image)

**Breath of Snake was derived from Breath of Water :o so does that mean Obanai and Giyuu can get along with each other?

**AUTHOR: **Yay we might get a threesome of Pillars (not that kind of 'threesome' ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Take your mind out of the gutter) possibly working together!

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**STATUS UPDATED 20/10/20:**

See message on Twitter. Thanks to those who have genuinely supported so far but I'm kind of having some hesitation about continuing this. I was so excited about this story and what I wanted to do for it, but I feel that maybe I was wearing rose-tinted glasses in thinking that I was making decent content. Maybe I might put it on hiatus while I figure out what to do or discontinue it altogether. Because if people don't like it, it makes no sense to keep getting anxiety every time I think about posting or to continually apologize every time I put up a chapter.

**STATUS UPDATED 21/10/20:**

After putting some serious thought into the issue, I've decided to continue writing for this. You can read Ruination Notice#2 in my Twitter media posts for a full explanation.

The summary is that I'm going to work on the negative way I have been perceiving my abilities. I should not be over-analyzing the lack of certain kinds of interaction from fans. They are not obligated to interact with me the way I need them to in order to motivate me and I am fine with that. I will embrace all who read my work. What I need to do is focus on writing this trashy story for all the people who genuinely want to read it. I will accept that not everyone would like the story or like to read plot, but that fact should not stop me from creating.

Thanks again for everyone's support! I look forward to continuing this journey to Tanji-kun's ruination with you all.

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**SPECIAL THANKS**

Thanks to the following for commenting:

**\- Naninondesuka **(yeah, Muzan was _**not **_kidding...sex with him is downright nasty haha),

**\- Kanon58** (In addition to Giyuu, Mitsuri and Obanai, I love Gyomei, Rengoku and Akaza as my favorite characters! Tbh, Gotouge made some really cool characters so I like quite a few) and

**\- Dysphol** (Giyuu is bae and deserves to be protected! Hurt me so much to hurt him. Tanjirou too, but things are definitelyyyyyy going to get worse... for Tanjirou especially! While I was writing, by the time Muzan was done with him in this little re-education arc, I kinda felt bad for him. Poor bby)

Your comments motivate me to continue this! And to everyone else, thanks for the faves and follows! Have a great day! Stay safe, see you soon and I appreciate that you decided to read this!


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